Marked
by Blue Lone Wolf 2574
Summary: Detective Rei Kon has had strange birthmarks on the back of his hands for as long as he can remember, but now someone aims to use these marks for dark purposes that've been delayed throughout the ages. Only now they're more determined than ever. Can Rei come to terms with his new powers in time to keep a dark future from occuring? Future KaixRei Rated T to be safe
1. Chapter 1: Bumping Into You

Hey there all! For those who've seen me before, I'm back! For those who haven't… well here I am. I thought I'd get some of my more interesting ideas down before they slipped from me and I'd say this is just an old idea I almost forgot about. I really liked '_Beyblade_' as a kid and even as an adult it still has some charm even if the new series doesn't quite do it for me. Well hopefully you guys enjoy this story cuz they're just not enough of 'em. I don't own '_Beyblade_' in any shape or form, but having a Rei chibi would rock my world. Enjoy!

"Iii" = speech

"_Iii_" = radio speech

_Iii_ = thought

Chapter 1: Bumping Into You

Rei Kon was having a pretty bad day. Not only had it been raining all day and night, but now he was chasing a suspect in said rain, by himself, and had no idea where his partner was. On top of it all, his suspect was running faster than any human should. He'd been chasing the stubborn man for what felt like half an hour but knew for sure it'd probably been less than ten. Since pointing his gun at the guy wasn't slowing him down, he'd put the weapon away to deal with the occasional innocent passerby and obstacle as he ran flat out down the street. As a foreign transfer to the NYPD, the Chinese cop was now glad he'd taken the time to familiarize himself with the many streets and buildings of the area he'd been assigned. Luckily he'd learned English well enough to know what the street signs said and have at least a decent conversation with his fellow officers. His partner and half-Chinese compatriot, Lee Wong, had been essential in helping him settle in not only to his job but the country himself.

Now, six months later, in the ice-cold pouring rain of late October, Rei couldn't help but curse his luck as he tried to force his legs to go faster. Whoever this guy was, he was fast and he could only hope that his partner was the one in the car. Which to his dismay, was parked almost two blocks away and far behind him. Bringing his wrist to his face, Rei didn't hesitate to speak to speak into the tiny receiver clipped onto the edge of suit coat's sleeve.

"To all units, this is Detective Kon! I'm in foot pursuit of a suspect heading southwest on 3rd Avenue about to turn north at East 21st! And dammit Lee where the fuck are you?!" he exclaimed, barely managing to avoid another civilian sporting two paper grocery bags as he watched his suspect vanish around the corner. With a small burst of fatigue filled speed, Rei managed to pump a few more feet out of his legs just in time to see: a fist headed right for his face. And it would've gotten him square in the nose if he didn't have the sense to duck and roll, using one of his tired as hell legs to sweep the man off his feet.

Almost immediately the man was swept into the air with a rather surprised grunt, only to twist enough to make his momentum back a rather powerful left hook pointed at Rei's face. The Asian man was able to spot the attack just in time to block it with his right forearm before he grabbed the stranger's wrist with his left. Without a moment's hesitation Rei had a handcuff around the wrist he'd captured before pulling the rest of the man's body to the ground. The man cursed something he couldn't help but think was Russian at him when his face met wet concrete, eyes of steel grey glaring at him as Rei used a knee to press down on the man's back.

"Ouch! You're suffocating me! Get off!" the man exclaimed, his rough voice somehow louder than the rain coming down around them as he struggled against Rei's strong grip.

Eyes of golden amber just glared back at the man underneath him, swift hands grabbing onto the redhead's wayward right hand to pin it next to his left. His raven black hair, short on his head but long in back, swung in a short braid over his shoulder, some rain water dripping off the end. "Only when you learn what the hell 'stop' and 'police' mean."

"Go to hell!" the man practically yelled angrily, his situation doing nothing to defuse his rage at his captor.

"You first." Rei grumbled, bringing his wrist back to his mouth to speak into the wire somehow unaffected by the constant rainfall. "Lee are you there? Dammit Lee answer me."

"_Rei? Rei what the hell happened? Where did you go?_" Lee's gruff voice answered into his earpiece, the half-Chinese man sounding purely perplexed at Rei's disappearance.

"Bring the car. I just caught a guy trying to run after I spotted him. He was pretty desperate to get away too."

"_Holy damn Kon! Don't just go running off on your own. You could've been shot!_" Lee exclaimed in surprise and anger before letting out an annoyed huff over the radio. "_Where are you? I'll come get you._"

He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the man's response, his own based on memory more than anything. "I'm on the corner of 3rd and 21st. And hurry it up will ya? I don't want to catch a cold."

Rei cut off any response from the other man by pulling the bud from his left ear, ignoring the man underneath him and his protests as he cuffed his hands together. Mostly because he wasn't in the mood for it all that much anymore. He just wanted to go home and sleep now that he was soaked practically to the bone. And to be honest, he needed the time off. The angry Russian red-head wasn't helping any either, his steel grey eyes burning holes in Rei's soaked suit coat of black. Now thanks to the rain, the fabric looked more like fresh ink than anything. Thinking about it further, Rei could definitely tell his socks hadn't survived the onslaught of water either. He just knew that drying off at home or at the office was going to be a drag, even more so depending on who was going to yell at him first, Lee or his boss. Letting out a tired sigh, Rei rose from his crouched position to stand over his fallen catch, the red Russian still muttering curses at him in his anger.

"I'm gonna break your fuckin' nose the next chance I get asshole!" he yelled suddenly, squirming in a hopes of getting the Asian man to let go and give him the slip as he moved to a sitting position on the ground.

The raven haired man just rolled his eyes again, knowing the man was just yelling at him for what'd just happened. "Yeah, yeah keep talkin' tough. Just be glad the most I did was knock you to the ground and not shoot you in the kneecaps."

Scoffing in amusement, an odd grin spread across the redhead's face. "What're you a mob hit man? Please! You're too weak for something like that."

Rei glared down at him, his golden eyes burning with annoyance and growing rage. He was not in the mood for this. "Just shut up already. You're the reason I haven't had dinner yet."

"Oh boo hoo. Poor pig didn't get its slop on time. Whatever are we gonna do?" the Russian said mockingly, chuckling almost evilly while Rei just continued to glare at him.

"You're gonna shut up and spend the night in lock up while I try not to get the flu. Now what the hell were you doin' at that warehouse?" he growled, eyeing the man in shackles suspiciously as he awaited a proper answer.

All he got was a very angry response. "None of your damn business!"

"Sure it isn't. And the Great Wall's an optical illusion." The Chinese man said calmly, despite the storm of anger building in his eyes. "Tell me what I want to know and I'll make sure you get your own cell. Far away from the perverts."

"Fuck you!" his captive snarled, grey eyes defiant and flashing with a rage of their own as he sat on the concrete sidewalk looking more like an abandoned puppy than a possible danger to anyone without a gun.

"Your choice man." Rei growled finally. Damn he was tired. He just wanted to go home and sleep now that he felt almost literally dog tired. Ignoring the rain as best he could, the Chinese cop paid no mind to the occasional passing car as he leaned against the brick wall behind him. At least the giant obstacle was shielding him from the cold autumn wind. Regardless of this, he couldn't help but shiver from the chill. Of all the clothing he had on, only his fingerless gloves seemed the most unaffected by the rain when it came to being exposed to the constant moisture. Made of a light, breathable black leather, the gloves were well within the specs of a detective's dress code and were even padded well enough to fight with. But their useful advantage in a hand-to-hand fight wasn't all they were for: they covered up a set of birthmarks that most resembled tiger stripes, situated perfectly on the backs of his hands. Rei had long since stopped questioning what the stripes were or why they were there, but had also accepted them into his life. He didn't find them disfiguring or annoying. Simply an unusual part of himself at best. The most he even looked at the markings was in the mornings, in the evenings and sometimes on his days off when he was sure he wasn't going outside anywhere. He even took the time to stare at them almost endlessly, taking long, scrutinizing stares at the patterns just to see if they looked like anything other than stripes whenever he was bored.

The sound of a car brought Rei out of his mild reverie as he recognized his patrol car, a Nissan sedan from the year before, came rolling through the wet city streets. As he moved to help the Russian man to his feet and towards the car, Rei's eyes immediately registered something off kilter. As the man rose, he noticed that his hands were suddenly in front of him and he was getting up unusually fast. With reflexes as fast as lightning, Rei managed to avoid a head butt only to get a double undercut to the stomach, making him gasp at the pain.

"REI!" he heard Lee call out from somewhere over the pain in his abdomen and the sound of the rainy wind around him. Ignoring his partner's cry, Rei managed to straighten just in time to see his lost captive almost all the way down the sidewalk and towards a corner. And possibly freedom. Energy suddenly surging through him, Rei found himself closing the distance faster than even he anticipated, making him glad he'd taken sprint running in high school. in what felt like a few seconds when he was sure was half a minute, Rei was soon turning the corner, his shoes letting out a scuffing noise on the wet concrete as he turned the sharp angle to bolt after the quarry that was determined to get away. No sooner did his golden eyes spot the red splash of hair amidst the gloomy colors, he saw that the man was not hesitating to cross the street, traffic be damned. Cursing under his breath, Rei reached up absently to reinsert the ear bud into his ear as he quickly did the same, thankful that the oncoming car had already passed when he did. From somewhere behind him, he heard Lee taking the corner a little hard in an attempt to follow his partner on the rain slicked streets.

Ignoring this information, Rei focused instead on the man determined to get away from him, his shoes now making a wet squelching noise as he felt the rainwater soaking his socks. If he didn't catch this guy again, he wasn't going to be very pleasant to deal with when they finally reported back in. The energy he pumped into his legs to close the gap between them seemed to come from nowhere, surging from a source he was too busy to identify. After nearly two minutes of running, Rei didn't hesitate to finally leap and tackle the man to the ground, letting out an angry grunt when they both landed on the wet concrete in a bodily heap. The Russian redhead cursed loudly as the Asian man atop of him quickly unshackled one of his hands so as to recuff him with both hands behind his back. Just as he'd done mere moments earlier, when he'd caught the man the first time.

"Okay… _now_ you're just pissing me off."

For once the Russian stuck firmly in his grip said nothing, his face a sneer and unwavering glare of rage at his captor. He wasn't in a good mood and neither was Rei but at least he had the brains not to complain about his feelings. Lee quickly pulled up and nearly got out when Rei just shook his head, angrily opening the door to the backseat and almost literally tossed the other man in. Slamming the door and opening the front passenger side and climbing in, Rei gave Lee a withering look when he tried to talk. The other Chinese male, tanned skin with equally golden eyes and rough darker brown hair blinked at Rei's glare but nodded, saying nothing as he pulled the car back onto the main street and drove them back to the precinct. By then it'd gotten darker and the rain was coming down a little harder, but Lee managed to find an umbrella to keep him, his partner and their quarry from getting any more wet than they already were. Moments later the two men were at their desks and their catch in lock up, Rei didn't hesitate to collapse into his chair.

"You okay?" he heard Lee ask from his own desk across from his, feeling the other man's gaze on him from over the various files and books that sat between them.

"I'll be better when I've had a good shower and some dry clothes. But that doesn't explain where you were." Rei sat up in his chair, his gold eyes glaring with defused anger at the other man as he growled. "Where were you Lee?"

"Mariah called. She wanted to know if we were going to be over at her place on the weekend for dinner." The tan cop shifted uncomfortably, knowing that the much paler skinned Asian wasn't likely to believe him.

Rei quirked an eyebrow, already seeing holes in Lee's excuse. "In a coffee shop? Talking to the pretty clerk you were obviously flirting with?"

"Okay, okay you got me but she did call." Lee said with confidence. When Rei's expression didn't change, Lee couldn't help but feel himself start to sweat despite being slightly wet from the rain. "What? She did! I swear!"

"Before or after I started running down the street?" Rei growled questioningly, the rain and his fatigue proving to be a bad combination.

Lee winced but decided it was best to be honest. "I'm not sure but you were gone when I got done talkin' to her."

"So after I starting running. That's reassuring." Rei practically snarled as he accepted a towel from another officer and began using the soft fabric to dry his hair. No matter how good it felt, Rei's anger refused to dissipate.

Sighing in defeat, Lee knew he wasn't going to win this argument. "I'm sorry okay? I'll make it up to you."

Pulling the towel off his head with a light sigh of relief, Rei couldn't help but scoff at his partner. "Make it up to me? How? Change the weather so I'm not rained on when we get off in almost two hours?"

"If I could I would. I was thinkin' pizza." Lee said, close to snickered at the odd request.

Once again golden eyes were glaring at him from across their desks. "Again? You're too hooked on American food."

"And you need to realize you're not in China anymore. Face it, you need to adapt better than just ordering out all the time." Lee retorted, some of his own anger showing, knowing that this was bound to get worse.

"You say that like I can't cook!" Rei said defensively, finally getting up to take off his soaking jacket and loosened his tie. Who knew what the rain had done to one of the few good suits he had.

Ignoring whatever Rei's thoughts were, Lee kept going. "That's cuz I've never seen you cook! But you can prove it to me and Mariah by coming over to dinner this weekend."

"Are you trying to entrap me into coming Detective Wong?" Rei asked, quirking an eyebrow as he sat back down.

Lee smirked almost devilishly, knowing the other man might actually comply. "I don't know. Do I have to drag your ass there? Detective Kon?"

"You've got nerve. I might come." Rei said after a moment, glaring at the other man in annoyance now that his anger had simmered down. "Stop grinning I said 'might' you friggin' idiot."

Lee's grin widened a bit as he flopped into his own desk chair, looking at his fellow detective across their respective desks. "That's as close to a 'yes' as I'm gonna get from a stubborn guy like you, so I'll take it. And if you don't come you better have damned good excuse."

"Better than talkin' up the clerk at a coffee shop I'm sure." Rei said, giving his partner a skeptical look.

The sun-kissed man glowered halfheartedly. "Are you gonna hold that over me?"

"I'm gonna hold it over ya for as long as I like." Rei said as he pointed a stern finger at his partner from under the towel as he tried to dry his hair some more. "So you don't forget."

"Just so you know, she has my number." Lee stated, his happy grin coming back into play.

Whipping the towel off, Rei stared in mock disbelief. "Oh really? So you think you've got a chance? What in all hell makes you think that she'll call you? Ever?"

"I think I've got a shot." Lee admitted, scowling when he heard his partner start to chuckle low in his throat. "Stop laughing!"

"You think? You think you've got a chance at this girl?" Rei managed past his chortles, a smile finally coming across his face.

"Of course I do? I'm irresistible." Lee declared confidently, only to earn more laughter from the man across from him.

"Right. Tell that to several women in this precinct you still think have a crush on you."

"Alright hotshot. You win. Let's just finish our report and go home okay? Hell I'll even drive you home so you won't get wet."

Rei's face became a knot of dissent. "I can't let you do that! How the hell will I get to work if my car is already here? You think I can walk all the way from there in what little time I may have to show up on time?"

"I'll just come and pick you up! I'll even call to make sure you get up on time too." Lee responded, almost too quickly.

Rei quirked an eyebrow, suspicion already blooming on his face. "You? Call me?"

"Yes!" Lee nearly yelled.

"You? Will call me? At my home to get me up for work?" Rei continued, still unsure if he'd heard the man right.

"Yeah! So?" Lee asked, giving his friend and partner his own look of confusion.

At that Rei scoffed, throwing his hands up. "Lee! That's about as likely as that coffee girl callin' you." He remarked, his smile returning a little at the thought. "And that should say something don't you think?"

This time it was Lee's turn to frown, if halfheartedly. "Oh don't be a smartass. Just start on your report so we can go interrogate that guy and hopefully go home."

"Don't jinx it." Rei said as he grabbing a pen from the mug he never used.

Lee scoffed, already shuffling through his own papers. "Too late."

They both laughed it off before finally going silent and remaining their own thoughts, Lee even getting up at some point to get Rei a dry set of socks they both knew would fit. After about an hour they'd both filed their reports and were enjoying some coffee when some ruckus near the front of their office space caught their attention. Tyson Granger, brown eyes and oddly almost navy blue hair, had obviously arrived with an arrest of his own. The bright faced man, being likely voted 'most loud and annoying' by all, didn't waste time turning in their direction and practically shouting. "HEY GUYS!"

"Oh crap what do we do?" Lee whispered as the affable detective started to maneuver the chaos that was the 'bullpen' of desks and people.

It was Rei's turn to scoff, his dark mood already returning. "You don't see me getting up. You deal with him."

"Me? Why should I?" Lee demanded, honestly wanting to know why he'd been 'volunteered' for the task of handling the overly-friendly man.

Golden orbs flashed as he stared his partner down, pointing at him with his pen as if it were a sword. "You were flirting when you should've been working. And I'm still damp from chasin' the guy for almost three blocks."

Officially cowed, Lee almost looked downtrodden as he stared at his partner woefully, not even bothering to pout. "You're not gonna let that go are you?"

"Not likely no." Rei bit out as he returned his attention back to the page in front of him, writing viciously.

"Ugh." Knowing he wasn't going to get out of it, Lee managed to slap a smile on his face once his coworker got close enough. "Hey Tyson! Need somethin'?"

Still beaming, clearly pleased with himself, Tyson shook his head a bit. "Nah, just haven't seen you guys in a while. You guys get anything interesting out there?"

"Yeah, we caught a guy. Only after I chased him for almost five minutes and Lee was lagging behind flirting with some girl in a coffee shop." Rei cut in, his voice still low and scathing but had just a hint of humor in it as he looked up. "Oh, and she has his number."

"That so? Well aren't you the Casanova huh Lee?" Tyson asked, giving the other man a pointed look.

"Oh shut up! You're one to talk! You keep on trying to talk up that Hilary chick from the newspaper whenever she comes in here looking for a good story." Lee shot back, giving the other detective a look of his own.

This only seemed to make Tyson's goofy smile grow a little wider at the implication, taking hold of his suit jacket lapels with a clearly inflated sense of pride. "What can I say? I can't keep 'em off me. What about you Rei?"

Rei could only roll his eyes as Lee merely scoffed. "All he did was get wet and now he's pissed at me. And likely long into tomorrow if he keeps bringing things up like he has."

"Hey guys? How's it hangin'?" a new but equally familiar voice asked, uttered by none other than Tyson's own partner Max Tate, bright blonde hair and kind, sky blue eyes a prism of color amidst the blacks and blues of the room. Like most, his attire was mostly black though his navy blue tie went well with it all.

Actually happy to see another person for once, Rei gave the blonde a weak smile despite the storm cloud that hung over his head, and the building. "Hey Max. Just who was it you and Tyson caught anyway?"

"Some poor idiot who thought we were customers. At least we got him out of the rain though. It's really coming down out there." The blonde's words were accompanied by a room shaking boom of thunder, along with a bright flash of lightning nearly drowning out the artificial light that briefly flickered. If any of them felt fear they didn't show it, but it was clear they felt something when they all froze and glanced at the windows warily.

"If I can't get home in this weather, I'm gonna be pissed." Rei growled in his returning ire, again giving Lee a pointed look. "And no Lee, I'm not going to let it go."

"Well anyway, we've got reports to write. See you guys later." Max said coolly and with a charming smile on his face, grabbing his partner by the back of his jacket and dragged him away. Both men laughed as the man in the blonde's grip began to protest loudly, their laughter joined in by the various employees still present to witness the interaction. The whole thing had lightened Rei's mood a bit but not by much, his irritability still strong since his long hair was still wet in places along with his clothes, though thankfully the socks Lee had retrieved had taken the chill from his toes. All of this and the excitement he'd suffered from chasing their possible suspect earlier made him feel more than tired. Downright fatigued was likely the best suited way of explaining it but the raven-haired male had to fight to keep his eyes open. Even the coffee he'd been sipping at for a good half hour wasn't doing the trick. Pretty soon the only thing holding Rei's head up was a hand under his cheek and chin while his elbow was propped up on the desktop while his tired eyes tried desperately to read the words on his computer.

"Rei." A voice called, his name uttered softly but loud enough to make him stir.

Blinking away the fatigue that fought to weigh him down, Rei looked away from his computer screen to look at Lee, who'd put his jacket back on and was holding an umbrella in hand. Giving him a confused look, Rei stared. "What?"

"Wanna head home? I could probably get you there if I drive well enough." Lee asked, giving his friend a concerned look.

"What?" only then did Lee's offer to drive him home, and their argument, came back to mind before he waved it away. "N-no, no thanks. I'll just hang here and hang out."

Except Lee wasn't backing down, frowning a little at him. "Shouldn't you at least give it a shot? You just might get that shower you were hoping for. C'mon man you can't stay here all night."

Leaning back in his chair a bit, Rei shook his head, smiling ruefully. "I think I'm done getting wet from that mess. But thanks. I'll head out when it lets up. You can still give me that wake-up call though."

"Sure, alright. Just don't stay too late okay?"

Rei nodded, knowing his friend meant well. "Yeah. Night buddy."

"G'night." Lee called back as he walked away, headed for the front doors.

Now a little more awake than he'd been moments before, Rei turned his attention back to his computer screen, skimming through some information while intently staring at other paragraphs of possibly interesting intel. No sooner had his mind focused fully on what was in front of him did an unfamiliar figure pass by, dressed in a black leather riding jacket and jeans, his boots squeaking a little on the tile floor. Turning to look at the newcomer, Lee smiled wide and waved.

"It's been awhile Kai, how ya been?" he asked, coming back to approach the stranger.

Looking up from his computer, Rei stared in confusion. The new male was tall, pale and looked less than pleased. His platinum bangs seemed to almost defy gravity while the rest of his hair was a deep navy blue that seemed the most under control. As if to completely coincide with this odd color scheme, his eyes were blue grey, and appeared hard as stone. Rei's own golden orbs flicked between the new arrival and his partner. "You know this guy?"

Bobbing his head, still giving the annoyed man a kind grin, Lee didn't hesitate to respond though the man didn't appear pleased by it. "He's from another unit and he's hardly ever around so it's not surprising you haven't seen him before now. What brings you here Kai? You usually don't show unless you need to turn papers in or get debriefed."

"You and your genius partner here arrested my CI." The man named Kai bit out, glaring at Lee with burning hostility.

"Oh, really? Well then why didn't he tell me that after, better yet _before_, I chased him down through the damn rain that's comin' down in buckets? " Rei practically snarled, his wrath from earlier coming back like a tidal wave.

Kai scowled at him, looking a bit surprised at the other man's hostile reaction. "What's eating you?"

Thankfully Lee cut in, already sensing an argument in the making. "He's not in a good mood. Just ignore him. So this guy's your CI? Coulda fooled us. We caught him running from a warehouse we've been watching when we spotted him. My partner here chased him for almost four blocks. Even tackled him when he escaped."

"He tried to escape?" Kai asked, his stern face shifting into honest surprise.

"Yeah. Only made Rei even angrier though." Lee muttered, glancing at his still irritated partner who pretended not to hear them.

Kai's face twisted with the cold smirk that graced his pale face. "Guess he's stayin' here tonight. Might teach him to behave next time he sees a cop car."

"True that." Lee snickered before pointing towards the double doors at the back of the large room, leading to the maze of offices, rooms and cells. "Did you want to go see him?"

"Hell why not? Might as well tell him he wasted his phone call." Kai responded, letting the other detective walk beside him as the two began to chat, Lee obviously friendlier than Kai was.

Rei didn't hear the rest and he didn't care. He was too tired for any of this ruckus and his pride was demanding he reconsider Lee's offer to drive him home. Returning his gaze to his desk and the paperwork on it, thankful for being surrounded by the quiet he desperately needed at such a late hour of the day. Letting out a tired sigh he nearly collapsed across his desktop, practically making him reconsider grabbing his suit jacket and following Lee to the parking lot… and into the pouring rain which was still coming down hard. He was too tired and moving just meant more energy that he didn't have. That and the fact it was raining cats and dogs didn't help either. Amidst it all Rei realized his forehead was resting on his desktop, rather uncomfortably atop some papers he still wasn't done filling out. Another tired sigh came forth as he lifted his head, rubbing his face free of some of the sleep that dogged him, picked up his pen and started writing. Somewhere in the middle of his thoughts, Kai had reappeared and had seated himself calmly in the chair next to Rei's desk.

After a few moments of silence and intense staring, Rei had to keep from rolling his eyes at the man's behavior. "What?"

"So you're the foreign exchange guy huh?" Kai practically stated, openly staring intently at him.

_Yay, Captain Obvious wins round one._ Rei thought but refrained. He had just met the guy, so pushing all his frustration at him was unfair. Still he had to ask. "Rei Kon, and I'll probably be here a while. What's that got to do with anything? And what's it got to do with you?"

"Kai Hiwatari, from the Gang Division. Just asking." The man said innocently.

That explains the leather jacket. Rei thought before responding. "Ah. Did Lee leave?" Rei deadpanned, not buying the man's act at all.

"Yeah, somethin' about you not wanting to leave. There a reason for that?" the man asked, Rei's sensitive ear picking up traces of a Russian accent but didn't comment.

"I've gotten wet enough for one night and your 'CI' didn't help any. So no, I'm not going anywhere. Even if I have to stay here all night." He growled, keeping a good amount of his anger out of his voice, giving the other man a questioning look. "What about you? Or do your hours just let you do what you want?"

His leather jacket shifted stiffly as the Russian shrugged, leaning back in his chair, meeting Rei's eyes easily. "I make my own schedule as Lee already said but right now I don't need to be anywhere in particular."

"Lemme guess. Lee asked you to hang around." Rei deadpanned once more, his lip curling in his annoyance.

Again Kai shrugged, seeming oddly laidback. "You are still new here, no matter how long you've been here already. I'll be here until more of the next shift start to show up."

"A babysitter. Great. What does he think I am? Nine?" Rei demanded, more of his ire flaring up. He wasn't a child!

Kai didn't seem all that bothered by his words. "It's just logical that there be more than one person here. Who knows? What if the phone rings?"

Rei blinked. He hadn't thought of this. But he was still too tired to go running around the city, despite the weather and all over a corpse that really wasn't going anywhere. Not that what Kai had said didn't make sense. He was too burnt out from the day's activities to think as clearly as he'd hoped. He wanted to glare at this man but found he couldn't. Something in him kept him from yelling angrily, bursting with rage at the male before him. He couldn't quite place it but he was sure this man was just playing with him somehow. Instead of responding Rei gave the man before him a cool look before going back to his work, scrolling through some information on his computer screen as he did.

Moments, possibly minutes or maybe even hours later, Rei shifted as he lay on the couch he didn't remember going to lie down on, or even falling asleep. His mind vaguely provided that he'd gone a good hour or so working some more, even finishing his report before sleep started to weigh heavily on him. At some point he'd put his head on his desk to think but somehow ended up asleep instead. It was likely that Kai had put him… wherever he was when he came back from seeing if the vending machines had anything good in them. Rei wanted to open his eyes to see just where he was, but whatever he was lying on was just too comfortable to move from. And if memory served, he'd found that the break room couch had been very comfortable and had been a good napping spot in the months since his arrival. Shifting a little on the soft cotton cushions, Rei knew now that his chances of getting back to work were slim to nil. He was just too comfortable and if anyone tried to make him move, they would probably get a punch in the face. If they weren't anyone terribly important….

"Hey. You awake yet?" a gruff voice called to him, a hand gently nudging his shoulder so to rouse him. "C'mon, get up."

"Don't wanna." He retorted sleepily, certain his face was twisting in distaste without his say so. _So much for punchin' 'em in the face for tryin' to get me up. You're a failure at holding up your own threats Rei Kon._ He thought absently to himself as he stubbornly stayed put.

Above him, Kai's voice was soft but insistent. "You have to get up at some point, how else am I going to drive you home?"

"Wha?" this time Rei did open his eyes, golden orbs bleary with sleep. Looking up at the man, his scowl deepened. "The hell you talkin' 'bout?"

Blue grey eyes looked down at him, hard and steady but with endless patience. "I got your car out front with the heat on. And before you say it's still raining, it's practically sprinkling right now. Plus you've been here for almost an hour. Time to sleep in a bed, not the break room couch." He said, leaning down to help Rei sit up. "Up you get."

Letting out another tired groan, Rei let himself be set upright as he tried to wipe some of the Sandman's sleep powder from his eyes. "Alright, alright I'm up. Why are you drivin' though? And how'd you find my keys?"

"I'm a detective too remember? Plus, they were still in your jacket pocket and even if I let you drive, you can barely keep your eyes open. Now let's go." Kai explained easily, watching the Asian detective stand up and put his suit jacket back on.

Still half awake and disgruntled, Rei had to keep from rolling his eyes at the man. He was practically a stranger and he was already ordering him around! "Fine, just don't expect my place to be tidy or nothin'."

"Of course not." Came the simple response, to which Rei chose not to answer.

The journey from the break room to the car was by far normal at best with Kai leading the way, slow but confident with Rei following just behind, somehow keeping himself from stumbling like a drunk. Though he'd only slept for the short amount of time Kai had informed him of, Rei was able to see and function clearly enough to pass as 'awake'. When he got into his car however, a rather modest Chevy Impala that was basic black, the heat coming from the vents hit him like summer had come early. It felt almost sinfully divine to him as the warm air cut the chilly wind off once the door closed and Kai got behind the wheel. Only then did another question come to mind.

"If you're driving me home, how do you know where I live?" he asked, giving the man a perplexed look as he reached for the seatbelt.

Putting on his own seatbelt, Kai didn't look at him as he spoke. "Lee told me. I already called him, told him I'd stick with you until work tomorrow."

Rei stared as his mind tried to see the logic in this. "What about your own car?"

"What about it?" Kai asked, finally looking at him with a calm look on his pale face. "I'll just pick it up tomorrow after you drive me back."

"You're one weird dude." Rei stated, clicking his belt into place.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Kai replied, oddly casual as he put the car in gear and expertly maneuvered the vehicle onto the road and into the depths of the night. Giving the man one last curious look, Rei let himself resign once again to sleep, adjusting the seat so he was leaning back as he let sleep win.

Glancing at the slumbering man, Kai's face softened a tad as he once again openly stared at the man. Thankful for the slow traffic and empty streets, the Russian cop reached into his jacket pocket for his wireless headset, slipping the small device onto his ear. Clicking it on as he then pulled out his phone, he found the number he wanted with a few swipes of his thumb, his eyes back on the road as the line rang in his ear. After a moment, the other end clicked as the recipient responded. "_Hey, you on the road?_"

"Yeah I'm headed for his place now. You were right, he's out cold. Is he always like this when it rains?" Kai asked, keeping his voice low so not to disturb his passenger.

On the other end, Lee sighed into the receiver. "_He's been irritable when it's lighter but he's never been tired before. Though if you get him running, he's like a human panther. He'll chase a guy down like they're food._"

"I can imagine." Kai retorted, letting a rare chuckle escape his throat. Though he was sure the man's words were a bit exaggerated, Lee wasn't one to lie about such things. "Are we absolutely certain he's who we've been looking for?"

He could imagine the tan-skinned detective was bobbing his head to the question on the other end, even when he responded. "_No doubt. He thinks I didn't see but he's got these marks on his hands. Wears gloves to hide 'em though given how he reacted to my askin' about 'em, he doesn't know what they're for._" Lee fell silent for a moment, his next words coming across as sad, regretful. "_He doesn't have a clue. If there was someone who could tell him, whoever they were either died before they could tell him or just couldn't find him. The possibilities are endless._"

"Great. So we've got some schooling to do." Kai grumbled into the silence of the car, only then noticing that the radio had been shut off.

"_Yeah, seems like._" Lee said, his tone switching to informative. "_Maybe when the rain passes he'll be less cranky. He's a really nice guy when you get to him._"

"Getting 'touchy-feely' on me Wong?" Kai asked, waiting for a light to change before taking the turn.

Lee scoffed into his ear. "_Hell no! Just sayin' that when we tell him, it doesn't mean he has to change._" The sadness was back, making Kai stiffen a bit. "_This stuff doesn't have to rule our lives._"

"We'll see. Do your job and I'll do mine." Kai said with as much calm as possible, though he knew there was no avoiding some of the changes ahead. "I gotta hang up, we're almost there."

"_Right. Talk to you later._" Lee retorted quickly before hanging up. Reaching up, Kai pulled the earpiece off, pressing the switch and stuffing it back into his pocket just as Rei began to stir.

He was able to pocket his phone just as Rei's golden eyes slid open, looking at him curiously. "Wazzat?"

"We're almost there. Time to get up again." Kai stated, as they pulled towards Rei's apartment building.

"Now I know you're torturing me." Rei bit out as he sat up straighter, readjusting his seat to the upright position. "Is this cuz I've been snippy?"

Kai had to smirk at that. The guy sounded like a little kid put in time out. "No it's not. Might as well practice, just in case I have to drive you home from a night at the watering hole."

The Chinese detective let out a loud scoff and a weak chuckle. "The day I drink myself unconscious is the day Tyson doesn't yell like he's a little kid."

"That's some very steep odds." Kai remarked, easily pulling into an open space on the curb before turning the car off. "Let's go."

"Fourth floor, third door on the left." Rei said as they both got out, his escort locking the doors with the car control.

For perhaps the first time, Kai looked perplexed. "Isn't four an unlucky number for the Chinese?"

"Only if you're into all that ancient crap. Most are too superstitious to forget it." Rei pointed out as they headed up the stairs and through the front doors. The first room was a small space, containing a simple light overhead and a special tile mosaic of the building's number on the floor. Through the second set of doors, more polished and had clear glass, led them to the lobby which was just a large rectangle. To the right several feet in were stairs, wood and well used, leading up to the first floor and beyond while a large window with thick glass was on the left. Behind it, the elderly super waved at them with a smile on his wrinkled face as they passed, the pair bypassing the stairs for the elevator at the far end of the room.

"Ah, and you?" Kai asked once they passed the window, both of them having waved back at the old man.

Rei merely scoffed. "Nah, got no use for it except makin' fun of the fortune cookie fortunes. 'That wasn't duck', pfft! How original is that?"

"Actually I get that one pretty often. Maybe it was chicken." The Russian pondered, earning an honest laugh from the other man.

"Then you know they're cheap." Rei managed past his chuckles, pressing the 'up' button on the wall for the elevator. Beside him, Kai was already fiddling with his keys, clearly trying to decipher which one went to his apartment. Taking pity on the man, Rei pointed it out for him as the elevator doors slid open. "It's that one."

"Ah, so it is." Kai muttered with a nod, following him into the metal box before he pressed the 'four' button on the wall. The ride up was spent in silence, Kai staring at the wall in something akin to boredom while Rei tried not to fall asleep again.

The sound of the innocent 'bing' of the elevator as the doors opened kept Rei from giving in completely, easily following his companion as the man walked ahead to open the door. Much to Rei's relief, the carpeted floors helped keep his still wet shoes from squeaking. Going inside first, Kai seemed to stop midstep as he took in the space beyond. "Tidy my ass, this place is damn near immaculate! Do you even come here in your off hours?"

Rei managed to keep from laughing at the man's reaction, remembering that Lee had done the same. "Yes, thanks I do. Everything's probably a bit dusty though. Only come back to change clothes when things are real busy."

Looking about the large room, everything neat and orderly, most of the tables made of wood and glass, couches and chairs a range of cool blues and greens. Though the walls were primarily white, that didn't stop a trio of paintings from adding splashes of color to it. A smooth flat screen was situated on a large wooden TV tray on the opposite side of the room, one or two of the shelves holding a small number of DVDs and CDs. On the coffee table separating the couch and the TV Kai saw there were magazines, one or two of them over a month old and coated with a thin layer of dust. Behind him, he could hear Rei shedding his jacket again. "I know what you mean. So what next?"

"Ugh bed. Too tired to shower." Rei said as his fatigue began to return, watching his guest look about for where to go. Again taking pity on him, he pointed and said. "Right."

"Over here?" Kai asked, pointing along with him as he finally saw the dark passage on the far side of the room. The kitchen, a fairly open and well furnished space, was to the left.

Rei nodded, already trudging his way over, not paying the other man much mind. "Yeah. There are blankets in that closet if you want 'em. The couch isn't a pull-out but it's good enough to sleep on."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Kai said with a nod, already shedding his own jacket and sticking it on a hook by the door. Since it was cold outside, he wore a long sleeve shirt underneath, the material likely wool and dyed a light grey color. Off to the side and in the dark, he heard the click of door closing followed by a deep silence. His face became an emotionless mask as he silently headed for the hallway after the other man with as much stealth as possible, careful not to give himself away. Once in the hallway, he saw there were at least four doors, and only two of them had any light coming from under the barriers. The second door, between said lit rooms, was a bit narrow and therefore not a room but the closet Rei had mentioned. It was likely one of the other rooms was a spare while the other was the bathroom. Hoping to keep his presence in the hallway legit, he went for the closet first, finding it was indeed full of blankets as well as towels, washcloths and spare sheets and toiletries. Not only was this guy tidy but he was clearly more organized than any other guy he'd met. The sound of shuffling feet brought Kai out of his thoughts as shadows passed across the edge of the door to his right.

_There you are._ Kai thought as he heard the telltale sounds of a mattress giving way to a fatigue heavy form met his suddenly sensitive ears. Since it was still cloudy outside, Kai knew the light coming from the room was artificial and probably from the street lamp out front. So the rest of the room was engulfed in darkness, which wasn't all that back of an issue. Leaving the closet door open, Kai reached for the bedroom's knob, his blue grey eyes flashing red for an instant as he carefully swung the door open. On the outside, nothing about the man had changed, but not his vision which was able to pierce the dark easily as if it were daytime. Still moving quiet and with unnatural grace, the Russian cop approached the bed. At some point Rei had taken his gloves off, revealing the large marks upon them. To anyone else they looked more like tattoos than birthmarks. But to Kai, they were a sign that Lee had spoken the truth. This was who they had sought for years and somehow fate and answered their call. Just as he was about to leave, a burning sensation caught him off guard, making him hold back a hiss of pain as he grasped at his shoulder. His only distraction was how the tiger stripes on Rei's hands sparked to life, glowing bright neon green and crackling lightly with spouts of electricity. Kai could only gape as the marks shifted to, on one hand, formed a tiger's eye as though painted onto the skin with glow in the dark paint. The orb shifted, as though looking about before focusing on Kai, the orb blinking as though winking at him. As soon as all of this occurred however, they began to fade, the marks reforming to their original shape. Luminance gone and the moment past, Kai looked at his own shoulder, where the edge of his own marks glowed a deep crimson before that too faded away. Rei never stirred, ever oblivious to it all. Not about to inform him of it, Kai left the room as silently as he'd entered, grabbed his blankest and headed back to the living room where he'd sleep until morning.

Oh man way longer than I intended but damn did I finally get that out of my system! My prologues are usually just 8 measly pages but this one kinda got away from me here. Either way I honestly hope those you who read this enjoy it and give me a reason to keep writing for it. Until then:

Next chapter:

Chapter 2: Painful Truth

Something ancient is rising back up from the dusts of time for Rei, and his only hope of figuring out what it is are his friends who seem to know quite a bit about it. Just what are the stripes on his hands and why are they special? What's more, are they truly the only ones who know about him and his hidden abilities? Find out when '_Marked_' returns with:

_**Chapter 2: Painful Truth!**_


	2. Chapter 2: Painful Truth

Hello everybody, Blue here with another chapter of my once forgotten fic '_Marked_'. Real original, I know but I was trollin' around my files and stumbled on it and thought, 'oh darn I meant to finish that one'. And I really did! But you know life, likes to be distracting. Oddly enough this is only my second BB fic since I abandoned the first. If any fans of '_Silent Ice_' are reading this, that story (my first BB fic) has been officially abandoned for potential rewrite so if you want to see it again or you're just curious what it's about just ask. Anyway, I don't own '_Beyblade_' or anything but maybe they'll revamp the first few seasons for us. Enjoy!

"Iii" = speech

"_Iii_" = radio/telephone speech

_Iii_ = thought

Chapter 2: Painful Truth

Rei Kon woke early, roughly after six in the morning to the sound of his alarm clock blaring in his ear. As much as he wanted to ignore it, which just meant one less civil servant was out and about, stopping crime or catching a killer. Out the window, the shades only halfway down, revealed the city was still partially in darkness and that clouds persisted. _Great…just great._ He thought as he sat up, letting the sheets flow off of his chest, revealing lean muscle and pale skin from lack of sun. Wearing only sleep pants to bed, Rei reluctantly got up and, in spite of the dark around him, got to his closet across the room without issue. He'd tossed his clothes from the day before into the hamper by the closet door, too tired to care that they'd wrinkle, an issue he'd deal with later. Opening up the small space, Rei scanned the various suits and matching pants he had to choose from. To the far left were his official uniforms, usually for ceremonies or funerals, all wrapped in plastic with the hats in boxes above his head. To the far right were dress clothes usually for special occasions and the rare date he'd gone on after coming to the big city. In-between were his work suits, each a shade of navy blue or black, various sets of shoes on the floor beneath. He'd taken some care with his soaked pair, having set them aside with towels tucked inside to get up any extra moisture. His only hope now was they didn't shrink or fade, else he'd have to get rid of them and get a new set. It wasn't his fault there were so many puddles all over the place. Ignoring everything else for the moment, Rei pondered which suit to wear, his gaze falling on a subtle black one he hadn't worn in a while. Pulling the hanger from the long wooden pole, Rei leaned down long enough to grab a pair of shoes he subconsciously knew went well with his chosen attire.

Setting the shoes by the bed and the suit atop the covers, Rei then moved to leave the room, his routine demanding he shower and eat before he got dressed. Finding an old t-shirt in the dresser drawer next to the closet, mostly in the corner, Rei slipped it on and found a spare set of his fingerless gloves that thankfully weren't against police regs. His feet shuffled quietly across the wooden floors, the heater doing little to keep the October chill from soaking into the organic boards. It was minor compared to outdoors he was certain so he ignored it as he headed for the door, gloves on and ready to see how his only guest was faring. He'd been so tired, he'd forgotten to offer the man anything the night before so as host, it was only fair he made breakfast for the man. Sure enough as he wandered back into the living room, the man, fellow cop Kai Hiwatari was shamelessly sprawled across his couch. His shoes on the floor and covered with a blanket or two, Kai lay on his side, back to the wall and using one of the pillows and an arm as means to comfort. Rei had to hold back the urge to chuckle at how peaceful he looked but kept it to himself. For all he knew, the Russian wasn't a morning person. Quietly bypassing the couch, Rei made a beeline for the kitchen, happy to see he'd already set up the coffee maker at some point before leaving for another long haul at work. Flicking both it and the kitchen light on, Rei turned to the fridge to look inside, again pleased that he hadn't been away long enough for anything to spoil. Pulling out the eggs, milk, butter and some bread, Rei spun a full 180 degrees to face the toaster, putting the slices of bread inside to set them to cook. Again turning he opened a cupboard for a frying pan to put on the oven, turning on the burner as he found glasses and plates. It wasn't long before he found silverware to go with them as he returned his attention to the stove, getting some droplets of water from the sink to test its temperature. When the drops quickly evaporated with a slight hiss, Rei smiled as he reached for the eggs with the intention of cracking one on the metal side.

His routine was almost shattered by the loud sputtering of the coffeemaker, the device beginning to steam as the water began to flow through. On the couch, Kai let out a noise of his own, his low growl of annoyance at the sudden sound disturbing him. Unable to fight the smile as it spread across his face, Rei called to him. "Good morning."

"Hm." Kai groaned back, Rei looking back to see him sit up slowly.

Rei couldn't help but smile wider at how sleepy the man looked. "You sleep okay?"

"Well enough. What time is it?" the silver-haired cop asked, bleary-eyed and watching him curiously.

Though there was no clock in the kitchen, save the microwave, Rei didn't look to see what it said as he responded. "Going on six-thirty. How do you like your eggs?"

Confused, Kai scowled, staring as if he'd said something odd. "What?"

Rei bit back a low chuckle but didn't bother keeping his smile off his face. "I'm asking you how you want me to cook your eggs. Do I have to guess or do you just want me to surprise you?"

Blinking the other man seemed off balance at the question but managed to respond either way, his scowl still in place. "Scrambled is fine. You don't have to do that."

Waving away the man's concerned with the spatula he had the mind to retrieve, Rei let his kind smile grow a little wider. "I kinda do. You did drive me home last night. Lee would've just ditched me at the curb to fend for myself, the idiot. So you get breakfast. Lee can suck it."

"Sounds like I'm getting the better bargain. This bargain happen to include bacon?" Kai asked, getting to his feet to stretch out, parts of his back and shoulders popping into the quiet of the apartment.

For the first time, Rei frowned a little at the question but kept up the kind atmosphere they'd established. "Not sure if I have it but it shouldn't be an issue. Coffee too, when it's ready, or milk if you like. Feel free to shower first if you want. No point in my getting all dressed up just to get dirty."

"All that sleep did you some good." Kai remarked, giving his host a sidelong look as he folded up the blankets he used. "You haven't made one sarcastic remark at me yet about having to chase my dumbass C.I. down in the rain. Lee kept on complaining how you kept stickin' it to him."

This time Rei scoffed, unable to keep from chuckling over it. "He was being a lazybones, chatting up some young girl when he should've come back with the coffee to help me chase that moron down. What was his deal anyway?"

At this, Kai scoffed in turn, folding the blankets under his arm when he finished. "I've known him for years and he gets jumpy sometimes. Didn't know your face so he thought you were going to bust him for some trumped up charge but he should behave from now on. Heard he gave you a real hit to the gut."

"Yeah took me by surprise but didn't do much except piss me off." Rei stated before looking back at the other man as he headed for the hallway, blankets in hand. "Since you found the blankets you know where to find the towels right?"

"I saw that. Mind if I use your soap?" Kai called back, the closet door swinging open and shut in the distance.

"No problem. Use what you need and put your towel in the hamper when you're done." Rei called as he headed back to the fridge, his sharp eyes scanning the freezer top for what he sought. When he found it, he beamed to himself and called across the apartment to his guest in his triumph. "You're in luck! Bacon!"

"My savior. I can only go so long on beer and whiskey." The man retorted with mild sarcasm.

Rei couldn't help but grimace at the thought. "Ugh, hope your liver doesn't hate you."

"Just part of my cover, at least until I can get a real desk like you. Be a few minutes." Kai told him before falling silent, possibly waiting for an answer.

"Not an issue." Rei called back just as the bathroom door shut in the distance, letting him focus on his task at hand. The eggs were cooking up nicely and the bacon added a cacophony of hisses and pops as they began to grow dark and shrink. Their maple seasoning went well with the eggs, the toaster finally popping with two slices of bread now golden brown. Scooping them up he put it all on a plate for himself before sitting to eat, leaving the burner on low for Kai's return from the bathroom. Only fair the man's food was hot when he ate it.

Kai once again had to marvel at how neat and organized his host's place was, that neatness having also extended to the bathroom, everything in its rightful place. It was fairly small compared to the rest of the apartment with a shower stall, a toilet between it and the one sink vanity and mirror. Like the rest of the place, it was primarily white with the various objects inside giving it the much needed colors. Even the towel he'd chosen was a tolerable shade of yellow, but still striking against the pure white wall tiles. Shedding his clothes, Kai set them all on the toilet cover to put back on since he could always change out later. Pulling the frosted glass door open, he set the water between hot and cold, waiting for the water to shift temperature as he examined the small shelf inside the stall. Again, everything was organized by use thus making it easy to find the soap that was, thankfully, in English and a brand he recognized. Soon steam from the water began to fill the air, telling him it was how he wanted it, the mild heat helping loosen stiff muscles and joints that'd bothered him since he got up. It felt so good, Kai almost let out a groan of pleasure as he focused long enough to open the soap bottle and give himself a quick washing. The process took all of five minutes or so, even going as far as washing his hair since it'd been a while. Drying himself right after getting out, Kai redressed and left the towels he'd used in the hamper between the toilet and the vanity as instructed before leaving, keeping the door open to let the steam out. Making his way back to the main part of the apartment, he felt a jolt of surprise at seeing that Rei was still at the stove.

"Have you been cooking this whole time?" he asked as he got closer, wondering just how long the other man had been slaving over their breakfast.

"No, just as soon as I heard the water shut off. I already ate my share so it's fine." Rei countered easily, pointing to the dirty dishes in the sink nearby.

Relieved a bit, Kai sat down at the table, watching the Chinese detective work the spatula and skillet with ease. "You have guests often then?"

"Actually you're my first but if my mother learned I didn't treat any guest properly, she'd tan my hide." Rei said with a laugh, frowned when he turned to see the dark look on Kai's face. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"

With a blink, Kai stared as the expression quickly vanished. "What? No, no it's nothing. I lost my parents when I was a kid, and I barely had any family after that. Just my grandfather."

"Mine's so old it's a wonder he knows what day it is. You have a good relationship with him?" Rei asked, feeling a pang of guilt at seeing the other man's face shadowed.

Looking away, Kai seemed to be both angry and sad at the same time. "Not really. He was… a very harsh man. We hardly talk as it is."

"Russian?" Rei asked, turning some of the eggs over.

Kai looked at him with shock, eyes wide. "How did you know?"

"Your voice, it's barely there but I can tell it's a Russian accent."

Watching the other man, Kai nodded slowly. "Just on my mother's side, I'm actually half Japanese."

"That's an interesting mix." Rei commented, scooping all of the food out of the pan and onto the clean plate, turning the stove off as he set it before his guest with a charming smile. "Your food sir."

"Thanks." Kai muttered, desperately trying to keep the light pink blush from showing on his face, distracting himself with the food instead. Still steaming, the aroma was hard to ignore. "This smells great."

"Wait until you taste it." Rei stated casually, standing by as though in waiting.

He only had to wait one bite before Kai was expressing his surprise, glancing between the chef and the food in awe. "This is…this is better than most diner food I've had. Where did you learn to cook?"

Leaning back against the counter, Rei laughed heartily. "My parents own a restaurant back home so I grew up around food. They were very understanding when I told them I wanted to be a cop rather than a cook, even helped fund my training so that I'd be able to come to America one day. Much to their relief, my cousin can take over when they retire." He chuckled low in his throat as if at his own joke. "_If_ they retire."

"They sound like nice people. Talk often?" Kai pressed between bites, sipping some coffee that'd been put in a mug at some point.

Rei nodded. "When I can. Email mostly, rare phone calls when we time it right. Keep telling me they're proud of me."

"I'll do that, you go shower." Kai told him when he moved to begin cleaning up.

Looking back at him, frowning a little in question at his guest. "You sure?"

Staring right back, Kai nodded. "Ask Tyson to do it and he'll whine, Max frickin' volunteers but as your guest, I'll do it. Might as well pull my weight while I'm here."

"Sounds like a plan. Just stack everything on the counter when you're done, I'll put them away later. Should be ready to go in ten, you?"

"About the same." Kai agreed, watching Rei round the table and head across the large space to vanish once more into the hallway beyond. Sipping at his coffee, Kai let himself lean back a little. He had to admit, this was the first time he'd been honestly relaxed in years. Not to mention the fact the other man was so friendly it was disarming. Sure Tyson was labeled 'affable' by the entire department but Rei seemed to be in a league of his own. Putting the mug down, the Russian cop didn't hesitate to dig into the breakfast his host had so skillfully prepared for him. He hadn't lied, it really was some of the best food he'd had that was on par with some of the better diners around the city. Though he tried to take his time, Kai was surprised to find he'd practically gobbled it all down much like Tyson would. Glad to be done but a bit saddened there wasn't more, Kai followed through with his promise and went to the sink to start his chore.

Not really one to shower in the morning, Rei couldn't deny that finally getting rid of the week's grime was energizing, wrapped only in a towel as he headed to his room to dress for the day. He could hear the clink of dishes from the kitchen, making him smile a bit. Unlike Lee, it seemed that Kai was never one to back away from dirty work. _Probably why he's in the Gang Division… only they take on the more serious risks._ Rei thought absently as he shut his door behind him, searching his drawers for his needed attire. Socks and underwear, as well as a simple white t-shirt, Rei moved on to his suit which he slid on easy as a glove. Having decided to keep things simple, he topped it all off with a sleek looking grey tie that like all of his ties were cheap, easy to come by and easy to cut should a suspect get hold of it. With that in mind, Rei liked to keep a small knife in his pocket if such a thing occurred. Underneath his jacket was his gun holster, strapped on with long leather straps of a nice caramel brown, the weapon tucked snug under his left armpit. Thankfully his arm had kept the Beretta from getting wet and his back up piece was in his desk back at the office. Giving his jacket and tie one last adjustment, Rei exited his room ready for the day. As he came out of the shadow of the hallway, he saw Kai was already by the door putting his leather jacket on. Noticing the man's return, he looked over at him, blue grey orbs seeming to widen a bit. "Wow you know how to clean up. Are you sure you're not secretly an accountant?"

"Very funny. You getting lessons from Tyson on humor?" Rei countered with a smile.

Smiling in turn, Kai only scoffed as he settled his jacket on his shoulders before zipping it up. "I know how to be funny without that idiot's help. But if you're looking for a real comedian, catch Max on open mike night. Don't know where he gets it but he got a few honest laughs out of me."

Moving to take the keys off the small table by the door, Rei stared inquisitively. "Really? I'm guessing that's hard to do then."

"Tyson tries too hard. At least Lee finally gave up on it. You're not gonna start are you?" Kai bit out in growing annoyance as the Chinese detective opened the door.

Letting him go out first, Rei chuckled as he locked the door behind them. "Depends on how motivated I am." Golden orbs darted to the side, a kind smile spreading as he called to the opened door across the hall a few feet away. "I was too tired to drive myself home last night Ms. Werner and nothing happened. You can go back to your soaps now."

With a soft click, the tenant's door shut in response, making Kai deadpan. "Of course, when isn't there an old busybody in every apartment building? She ever ask you anything embarrassing?"

Letting out another soft chortle, Rei shook his head as the pair headed for the elevator at the end of the hall. "Only when she brought a casserole over in the hopes I'd meet her daughter. Who's in Oregon as a corporate lawyer, dealing with angry locals over a chemical spill. Word is it's gotten pretty nasty."

"Sounds interesting, if dating a lawyer is remotely safe or exciting to begin with." The silver-haired man stated tonelessly as they waited for the elevator to arrive.

Next to him Rei nodded in agreement. "Well I politely declined, saying such a match wouldn't work anyway. Even at the casserole. It wasn't that bad."

"Was it green bean, three beans?" Kai pressed as the doors opened, both stepping inside, Kai once again pressing the button for the ground floor.

"Three cheese macaroni. Surprised me a bit, never thought to combine them like that. Glad I didn't get gassy afterwards though."

A deep throated chuckle threatened to escape as Kai smirked at the thought. "Okay now I know you're trying to get me to laugh. Who's taking lessons now?"

This time Rei openly laughed, taking Kai off guard, a light blush spreading across his cheeks at the musical sound. "Says the mature, cool-headed detective who looks like he's made purely of stone. But I'm sure someone can get past that hard exterior if they tried hard enough."

"Hm. Maybe but not today." Kai managed to say, turning away to hide his face, thankful the elevator door opened just then to let them out.

"Yeah, a real shame." Rei muttered in turn, following the other man out into the lobby, both waving at the elderly super behind what was undoubtedly bulletproof glass. Again the old man smiled as they passed before returning to his newspaper. Just as they opened the doors leading to the street, Rei's pocket began to beep loudly into the quiet. With some fidgeting, Rei was able to free his phone and answer. "Kon here. Oh hey Lee."

"So much for your wake-up call." Kai muttered, earning an eye-roll from the other man as they stepped towards Rei's car, Kai heading for the passenger door this time.

The doors unlocked at the press of a button as Rei kept talking. "Yeah we're leaving now, should be there in a few minutes." He paused, his expression less than pleased. "Well then you need to reset your own clock or at least go to sleep sooner. If you don't get a move on, I just might have to leave you behind."

Another pause fell over him as he slid into the driver's seat, holding the phone with one hand and pulling his seatbelt on with the other. Scowling at the wheel, Rei seemed to grow more irritated the more Lee spoke. "The hell kind of question is that? No I'm not going to answer! In fact, you can talk to Kai you want to know so bad." Without any warning, Rei held out the phone to his passenger, waiting until he took it before turning the key mumbling angrily. "Bad enough my neighbor tries to snoop on me."

Deciding it wise not to comment as the Chinese detective pulled them away from the curb, he brought the phone to his ear, keeping his voice level. "Kai here."

"_Finally! So what happened? Did you see them?_" Lee grit out from the other end, his voice low but demanding.

Keeping up the charade, Kai effortlessly kept his cool. "Nice to hear from you too and no nothing happened."

"_Ugh I only asked that to get him off the line! Now tell me: did you see them?_" he demanded again, sounding almost on edge.

"Yeah we're leaving his place now. His couch was oddly comfortable. Have you been to his apartment yet? Really spacious, abnormally clean." Kai responded casually, watching the world go by absently, thankful that Rei had calmed down the further they got.

"_Fascinating._" Lee deadpanned, obviously having been to the other man's place before and was close to losing his patience. "_Did anything happen?_"

"Yes, even cooked me breakfast. Guess you missed out." Kai stated with a cool grin.

He got the reaction he wanted instantly, almost having to pull the phone away as the man shouted angrily. "_What?! The most he feeds me is take-out! You bastard!_"

"Bye Lee." Kai said teasingly prior to hanging up, putting the phone in the divide between him and Rei, who was trying not to chuckle as he took a turn. Leaning back in his seat Kai let himself appear smug. "Vengeance is so sweet sometimes."

"It is, hence why it's unwise to get addicted." Rei responded through his chortling. "Now he's going to be hounding us both over it."

"Why only take-out with Lee yet freshly cooked for me?" the Russian man asked, giving him an honestly curious look.

Rei nodded slowly, watching the road carefully as he answered. "Because he's my partner but also makes for a lousy guest. You, though I barely know you, are a wonderful guest and thus, you earned a just reward."

"Ah, give and take."

Again Rei nodded, scanning the line of cars parked in front of the precinct as he pulled into the small parking lot. "Uh-huh. Where did you park?"

"Right over there." Kai pointed some distance away but the object of focus was hard to miss: sleek as she was slender, the car was painted a deep navy red metallic that seemed to shine despite it being overcast. On the hood, like a phantom, a brushwork phoenix made of light blue flames had its wings spread in a blaze of glorious fire.

Next to him, Rei appeared modestly impressed if the rise of his eyebrows was to go by, looking at his passenger almost as if he'd nabbed his prom date. "A '69 Mustang? You sly son of a bitch. Part of the cover I assume."

Smirking with a nod, Kai spoke with pride in his voice. "It is. And looks like I'm giving someone else a ride today." Kai muttered, both noticing a familiar redheaded, grey eyed man was leaning against the vehicle in question. _Tala, the guy I chased yesterday._ Rei's mind informed him as he brought his own car to a stop.

"Your 'run from the cops', oh-so-charming C.I." the Chinese detective muttered, openly glaring at the man in question. "That's just wonderful. Punch him good in the jaw for me." Rei growled with lacking hostility. He didn't like the man, but wasn't about to deny the need for him. People like him kept the worst of the worst from doing bad things to innocent people.

Smirking a little, Kai unbuckled and moved to exit. "No promises but I'll see what I can do." With a soft thud, the door was shut and he leaned down to the window to say. "See ya later."

"Until then." Rei promised, putting his car back in gear as he pulled away, heading for his usual spot by the doors.

To say Tala was happy to see him was a lie. In fact, if not for the fact that there were people everywhere, he probably would've been foaming at the mouth in rage. That was how Tala was after all, ever since they were kids. His features sharp and wolf-like, the man was always easy to anger and hated backing down and had been livid when Kai had told him he'd be spending the night in jail. Now he just glared at Kai as he walked up, grey eyes darting between him and Rei's car as it pulled away. Eyes narrowed, he snarled. "You've been busy."

Immediately Kai scowled at his old friend, though he couldn't deny he wished there was some truth to the man's accusation. "It wasn't like that. You shouldn't make it harder for everyone if you're in jail all the time. Running certainly didn't help either."

"He chased me, tackled me and was real rough about it. You want me to file a complaint too?" Tala asked with a low hiss, grey eyes sharp with fury.

Kai's face quickly knotted with irritation at the other man. "Quit whining and get in gear! He's the one we've been looking for!"

For the first time in ages, Tala blinked, his rage fading into open shock. "What? Seriously? But how-?"

"I don't know but Wong says he's a recent transfer straight from China. Wouldn't surprise me if he has a working visa and, on top of that, is working on his citizenship as we speak. And my guess why he was so angry yesterday was because of the storm." Kai informed him, having connected the dots already.

Eyebrows raised, Tala only stared. "The storm? Really?"

Serious as ever, Kai nodded. "Yeah, makes him tired too. The guy could barely do anything. Probably the energy shift from all the elements aligning."

"What? He doesn't know how to control it?" Tala exclaimed, glad there was no one around to hear all this. Anyone listening in would probably think them crazy or just talking in code of some kind.

Kai shook his head, regret filling his expression. "No, from what Lee's told me, the guy's clueless. Doesn't know a damn thing. And he didn't sense my own affinity either." Quirking an eyebrow, Kai stared pointedly at his old friend. "Much less yours apparently."

This made Tala stiffen before he was cursing again. "Damn. Just like Tyson from back in the day." When they'd met Tyson, the man had no clue of his potential and it'd taken some very serious talking, and demonstrations, to get him to see they weren't just messing with him. Now Tala was scowling, regret also marring his features. "Now we gotta wreck his world too?"

"Weren't you just pissed at the guy?" Kai asked, puzzled by the man's sudden change of mood which was rare.

Much to his surprise, Tala was looking him right in the eye. "You smiled at him."

"What?" he asked, confused.

Tala shook his head, not missing a beat. "I saw it, even from here. You smiled at him and he smiled back. Few can make your good list Kai and I'm guessing he just got added to it. That tells me he's a good guy, like Tyson and Max. He's not messed up like us." A shadow passed over them both before the redhead broke the tense quiet between them. "How you plan on breakin' it to him?"

Letting out a tired sigh, Kai could only shrug. "Honestly? No clue but if we do it right, he might accept it or he might not. For now, we've got work to do." Blue grey orbs hardened after a moment, deciding to focus on something else. "What did you find?"

For once, Tala accepted the subject change, pulling a thumb stick out of his pocket, handing it to him. "The old man's been busy, real busy. Most of it's pure business stuff, like accounting files and contracts but there's something in there labeled 'rare goods'. And we both know he doesn't collect antiques."

Kai may as well have been shot with a taser at Tala's words, his mind already following where it was all leading. "Shit. Good job, I'll take a look. Keep an eye out for more while I track all this down. If we're lucky, we'll find out what he's up to before it gets away from us."

"You got it. Can't have him getting his grimy old mitts on anyone else." A shadow passed over Tala's features. "Not after Daichi."

Kai grimaced at the thought. Daichi had been an annoying kid, loud and spirited much like Tyson who treated him like a little brother. But after his grandfather got ahold of the kid, all that was history. He shivered despite his warm clothing. "I know." He agreed, frowning deeply before shaking the feeling away. "You need a ride?"

"Nah I just stuck around long enough to talk to you. We should both get going though." The redhead straightened, letting Kai reach the door as he moved away. "Your contact is getting ready to see you in two hours. I'd get moving."

"Right, meet you there." Kai didn't say more as he unlocked the classic car, not watching the redhead walk away as he got in and started it up. He smiled a little when the vehicle purred as the engine started. It'd taken him months but he'd fully restored the car himself, with his own two hands and without spending silly amounts of money on getting it done in a shop. The paint job he'd left to professionals though. Grabbing hold of the shift stick, Kai was on the move and rolling out of the lot, heading for the darker parts of town.

Lee grumbled as he walked into the precinct, his anger coming to a boil when he saw Rei was already at his desk, reading the newspaper with mild interest. As far as he knew, the other man only read the newspaper to test his English, using him as a translator for words that still escaped him. When the man had first shown up, it was a wonder he could speak a word but now, after less than a year he was practically a fluid speaker and reader. Most movie and show references went over his head, though that didn't last long once he found the scene on YouTube. He caught on quickly after that, the pair spending nearly a full month watching shows and movies Rei had never seen and needed help understanding a number of the references in them as well. Lee had done what he could but so far, the man seemed to soak it all up like a sponge, taking most things in stride while questioning others. As far as Lee knew, Rei seemed to pay equal attention to murder mysteries and cooking shows, frowning at the screen and saying 'that's wrong' or 'it doesn't go that way, what're they trying to do?'. They both found sports annoying, save for the rare baseball game, and never bothered all that much with politics and economy stats. When Rei had asked about the various charts in the newspaper, all Lee told him was 'leave that stuff to accountants and stock brokers'. The look Rei had given him had been light confusion but the man had accepted his answer anyway. Seeing him as he was now reminded Lee of that, making it hard for him to stay mad. Still in a huff, Lee stomped over and dropped into his chair like an angry child.

Blinking at the noise the chair made, Rei looked up from his newspaper, smiling with his casual charm. "Hey Lee, glad you could make it."

"Hey yourself. Since when do you make breakfast for other people?" he demanded, truly wanting to know. The only people who ever cooked for him were his mother and his sister Mariah, who lived in the city same as him.

Casually turning back to his newspaper, turning the page, Rei spoke without pause and with a certain lack of emotion. "Since they do more than sit around, drinking beer and then falling asleep from being too drunk to go home."

Lee winced at the jab, knowing he was on the spot. Most of his 'lessons on American culture' had involved him bringing a six pack and both of them lounging on Rei's couch. Rei was only able to take a sip or two before frowning while Lee just gulped it down like it was water. The one and thankfully only time Rei had an entire can, he almost passed out from the way it hit him so hard, and he was almost impossible to deal with the next day. An experience Lee wasn't intent on repeating anytime soon. "Yeah I guess that's mostly my fault."

"So he finally admits it. I'm all for rice wine now and again but beer? How Americans can even swallow it is beyond me." Rei said with a roll of his eyes, folding up the newspaper neatly onto his desk before putting it to the side for later.

"You'll be an American too if you pass the test." Lee pointed out, taking pride in having assisted his partner in the task. It'd been hard but Rei had learned American history better than he had as a kid. Normally getting one's citizenship took months, even years but when he and several others called in favors with the Immigration Department they'd been kind enough to ensure that the new arrival could take the test within the year.

When he'd heard about it, he'd admonished them for wasting such useful connections but thanked them for their efforts with the promise that he'd do his best. Now he just shrugged it off as he got to his feet, grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair. "I know, but that's weeks away. Anyway, boss said he wanted to see us."

"Aw damn is he mad?" Lee asked as he too got to his feet to follow him.

Rei shook his head at the inquiry. "No, just irritated." Pushing his chair in, Rei walked quickly towards one of the doors just to the side of the bullpen of desks. "Let's go see what he's got for us."

Lee was quick to follow, the pair reaching the door in record time as Rei knocked before opening the wood and glass barrier between them and their superior. "You wanted to see us captain?"

"Yes I did, come in both of you." Hiro Granger said, looking up from his paperwork with a kind smile. Older and more mature, Hiro was almost exactly like his younger brother Tyson, though thankfully he refrained from being loud and intrusive, he was at the very least friendly and professional with everyone. Yet every time they saw the older man, his brown eyes always seemed far off, as if in deep thought or even staring intently. Like he was plotting something, and his gaze was enough to make one shiver at the sensation of its focus. Thankfully he was more grounded than usual for his smile quickly vanished. "Word has it that there's deal going down back at the warehoused you two were watching yesterday and I need you two to be there to watch it go down."

Coming to stand before their superior's desk, the pair glanced at one another before Lee spoke up. "Do we know who'll be there?"

Normally kind eyes were hard as stone as the man leaned forward in his seat. "Someone who's been dealing with some pretty heavy stuff, and not the good kind either. Either way, Kai Hiwatari will be there so keep an eye out and be ready to act if he gets into trouble?"

"Kai? Why is he there?" Lee asked, both he and Rei appearing puzzled by the man's involvement in the matter at hand.

Hiro didn't react to Rei's confusion, giving no sign of knowing he'd met Kai already or not. Instead he kept talking, ever cool and professional. "He's acting as an insider for us on the gang that's part of the meeting. If we play this right, we can make it look like he's in trouble like the rest of them but if anything should happen, you'll need to act fast."

Bobbing his head at this information, Rei responded first, the logical part of his brain already calling various details into question. "Sounds risky, but why just us?"

"Not just you, I'm sending Max and Tyson with you as backup. If we're lucky, that's all you need to get this done." Hiro informed them, leaning back, his expression unchanged.

"How do we know a whole army of these guys won't show up? Four against several dozen guys with guns?" Lee asked, Rei nodding in agreement. Not even two minutes in and they didn't like their odds.

Frowning, Hiro shook his head as he corrected the pair. "Five against half a dozen, most unarmed and just there to see things go smoothly. We just need the key players to make our case."

"Who should we look for?" Rei inquired, watching carefully for his partner to cool down. Lee undoubtedly had a temper, which could sometimes get away from him. Which was probably one of the reasons why he'd been paired with the man. Noticing his gaze, Lee nodded at him as assurance he wasn't going to go into a rage.

Ignoring their interaction, Hiro pulled a file from a drawer, pulling out several photos and putting them before his officers. "These guys: Enrique Giancarlo on the left and his close associate on the right, an Oliver Polanski. From what the guys over in Customs tell us, they're informants for us trying to get some kind of artifact from someone named Boris." He said, pointing to two on the left, one of a blonde man, grey eyes with styled hair and a cocky grin and green-haired man with purple eyes but a gentle expression. "We've never seen Boris but we have seen at least two of his lackeys Ian Papov and Bryan Kuznetsov. Kai and some of his local 'associates' have been hired as muscle for the exchange by Oliver and Enrique all under the guise of keeping anyone foreign out of the deal. So far, no one's been chatting up the lines so it's safe to say we did good on that."

"Wait if this is about some antique, why isn't the FBI involved?" Rei inquired, yet another piece of the puzzle that didn't quite fit.

The police captain stiffened for a moment before answering. "They'll be informed if what we find is worth their attention, not before. Until then it's business as usual. Once the feds get involved, this all becomes a three-ring circus of confusion and jump-starts. This is too sensitive for that." Scooping up the photos, he tucked the file away. "Now get going, the meeting starts in less than two hours. Grab Tyson and Max and get going."

"Yes sir." The pair stated casually with a hint of respect as they both exited the office, Lee the first to spot Max on the other side of the room, looking about. Raising a hand, he called out to the blonde. "Over here!"

"C'mon or we're gonna leave without you." He called back, his face a grim mask for once, turning to leave as Rei dashed to his desk for a moment to grab his back-up gun, a solid black revolver, out of the bottom drawer. Once outside, they both diverted to their cars to get their bullet proof vests from their trunks, Lee pulling a pair of bulky shotguns from his and handing one to Rei. Max was in the driver's seat when they approached the unmarked car, a dull white Corolla with Tyson in the passenger seat. The fact that Max was driving was a relief to the two Chinese detectives since whenever the blue-haired man was behind the wheel, he drove like he was in a street race. At least Max drove like a normal person…most of the time.

He looked back at them as the pair got in, both strapping in before Rei moved to strap his second gun to his leg. As the man was occupied, Lee quickly caught both gazes looking back at him, shaking his head quickly just in time for Rei to sit up. Max appeared serious while Tyson was tightlipped for once, the blonde speaking first. "You guys get the debrief?"

"Yeah, we're set. Does Kai know we're coming?" Lee asked, knowing the pair didn't know Rei had met Kai already.

He took their lack of reaction as affirmation when Rei didn't react either, Max nodding as he turned the car on and put it in gear. "He does, in fact he's counting on it. He and Tala will be working so that this goes down smoothly: we show up, get in position and when they bring out the artifact, we move to arrest everyone. Even Kai since we gotta make it look good. Only he and the gangsters will be armed so we gotta be quick about it." the blonde said as he backed out of his parking space before joining with the rest of traffic. Like in his car, Rei noticed the radio was off and a police radio was plugged into the dash instead before focusing on the moving picture of the world outside. It wasn't unlikely there was a cherry light somewhere they could stick on the dash should things get dicey.

In a rare show of pure business, Tyson was fiddling with his carbon-steel Cobalt gun, the massive weapon as heavy as it was powerful. Not looking up from his inspection, Tyson filled the eerie silence that'd filled the car. "Word is the artifact is in a dinner plate size box but might weight more than it looks. As a precaution, they kept it in the wooden shipping crate it came in so it should've be hard to spot once they pull it out. Remember, we move as soon as they pull out the money and begin to switch items. Arrests are key, keep these guys from telling their friends they got snagged so we can tell the higher ups they have work to do."

Max didn't say anything, Lee glancing at Rei as the man nodded, taking in each word with care. Just months ago, Rei was still struggling with the language barrier between him and his coworkers. Max, ever kind and friendly, had been sympathetic and tried his best to get through to the newest addition to their ranks. Lee acted mostly as translator along with the various Chinese-speaking members of the force. Tyson, however, in his immature and oh-so-irritating way, acted like a moron and laughed circles around the poor man. Until, of course, he made the error of challenging him at the gym. He discovered, along with more than half the department, that Rei was a vicious fighter underneath his gentle shell he wore to the office every day. Tyson was more bruised and battered than even a professional fighter by the end, the way the idiot kept getting up for more. Also true to his initial nature, Rei was serious at first but laid off when he saw his opponent was just being stubborn but didn't deny him. When Tyson did give up, Rei was the first to pick him off the floor and patch him up, making it clear he wasn't one to be cruel or hold a grudge. As his English got better, they became fast friends after that. Lee's real hope now was that those connections would survive the day.

Kai reached the warehouse easily enough, the early morning traffic light but would soon congest as the city that never really slept awoke to a new day. He'd stopped by his own place, a modest apartment, not as big or as tidy as Rei's but it was good enough for him. He stayed only long enough to change out his clothes before heading out again. Now at the meeting spot, Kai parked some distance away to be discreet but close enough to reach if things went south. Checking the time on his phone, he felt some satisfaction that he was early which meant his fellow officers weren't far behind. He knew Enrique and Oliver well enough to know they'd be on time as well but Bryan and Ian? _To think they still work for him, even after what he did to Spencer…. _Kai thought, frowning to himself as he pocketed his car keys and headed for one of the doors leading into the warehouse. Deep in his heart he wished Tala had come along too, just to see their old friends again and how far they'd fallen. Shaking it off, Kai steeled his features as he opened the door, finding that a number of his 'gang' had already appeared for the job. Some looked up to see him enter but paid him little mind. They knew he came and went at strange times and had learned the hard way not to question him on it. Their fear was as strong as their respect, which he'd earned with both fists and actions. Like most in his position, he sampled the various 'products' of their trade, forcing himself not to take too much and always put himself through forced rehab. Only once did he go to the hospital, but only due to the fact the 'sample' was from a bad batch of heroin. Hiro had been furious and had the entire room of druggies and gangsters arrested for their miscalculation.

Blue grey eyes were cold and hard as they scanned over the collection of people. Most of them were low-level, pure muscle that would never really go anywhere. All of whom would be in a holding cell before lunch. None of the higher ranking members of the gang wanted to risk being in attendance should things go wrong, and they knew that when Kai was in charge, things rarely went sideways. Not today. Kai thought as he entered, finding the first member who had found the property for them. Speaking in cold monotone he demanded. "Anything?"

"Nothin' so far boss. If the cops know then they ain't showin' it. Hopefully we'll be long gone whenever they catch on." The gangster responded with a nod, speaking with deferential tone, which didn't fit with his scraggly attire.

Kai sneered a little at the scent of alcohol on the man's breath. "Hm. Get everybody in position and keep an eye out for the cars. And treat our employers with some damn respect or I'll take it out of your asses."

Several had blanched at his words, nodding as they moved to obey, knowing the Russian wasn't kidding. Mixed breed or not, Kai knew how to fight fair and how to fight dirty. With them, it was hardly fair but then, all they did was get dirty. Examining the open space between the large car doors on either side of the building, taking note of the various crates, boxes and junk that was scattered about, Kai silently hoped it was enough cover for his friends. Off to the side, he heard running shoes across the dusty concrete floors as two or three men ran to one of the doors. One of them was yelling. "Go, go! The employers are here!"

_That's my cue._ Kai moved to follow though at a slower pace, watching the trio of men rush to open the rusty car door to reveal that even in midmorning and overcast, the sun was insistent to have some light shine down. Already in the cracked parking lot was a black town car, windows legally tinted and revealing two men in the front row with two barely visible in the back. Kai nodded at the pair in front, knowing the two well from previous encounters, both knowing he was a cop and more. They nodded back, but kept their faces clear of emotion to hold up the charade for their many onlookers. Coming to a halt not far from where Kai stood, the two men exited to open the back doors for their passengers. The first to appear was Enrique, normally carefree and outgoing but actually appeared stern with blonde hair ever styled just right that clashed with his dark suit. His counterpart was almost his exact opposite, Oliver always a colorful man with his grass-green hair and exotic violet eyes that went with his kind smile and suit of cream. The two looked very out of place in the dreary warehouse but neither seemed to care as they approached their 'associate'. Their bodyguards, both well-trained and clean-cut, moved to follow. One, the passenger, stayed behind long enough to pull a black briefcase from the back of the car while the other followed their employer's with discreet caution.

"Kai." Enrique growled, the Italian poorly hiding his irritation over something or other.

Oliver however was friendly as ever as he smiled at him, the Frenchman even shaking his hand as part of the show. "Bonjour Kai."

"Sirs, welcome. The other party has yet to arrive but we are well prepared for anything that may occur." Kai stated respectfully, walking with them as they moved further into the filthy space. Once out of earshot of most around, he leaned in a bit to whisper. "There is, however, a _major_ complication."

"Oh? And that is?" Enrique all but snarled, obviously not in the mood for much.

Ignoring the man's restrained fury, Kai went on. "He's here. In the city, as we speak."

"He? Who's he?" the Italian demanded, managing to keep his voice low so not to alert the surrounding henchmen. When Kai only stared meaningfully at him, epiphany came onto his youthful features, the man blanching a little at the thought. "Wait…you can't mean-!"

Kai only nodded solemnly. "I do, and he's part of the crew coming to bust this deal so be ready. Know that he has no clue who and what he is, so be prepared should things go wrong."

"To think he was here the whole time? How?" Oliver asked, his companion struck into silence, clearly reeling and was on edge of pacing.

This time, Kai waved the question away, taking pity on the pair for their ignorance in the matter. "Actually he's from China, just came over months ago and is close to getting naturalized. At least that's what Lee has told me. If there was anyone there who could fill him in, they either died or never got the chance."

Enrique cursed under his breath, Oliver speaking more civilly. "Most terrible. And what we're about to acquire could ruin him."

"Then let's work to see that doesn't happen." Kai muttered only loud enough for them to hear, his mind already providing the kind smile Rei had sent his way just that morning.

A dry laugh cut through his reverie as Enrique gave him a sly smirk. "You like him don't you?"

"What?" Kai couldn't help but stammer. _What is with everyone and that question today?_

Oliver chuckled but much lighter than his companion. "It's most rare but you actually sound worried about another person Kai. He must've made quite an impression on you."

"He's a nice guy. To see someone like that tarnished like I was… it's something I want to avoid." Kai said, looking away from the sympathy that was likely on their faces.

Frowning, Enrique all but slammed his hand onto the man's shoulder. "True and we promise to do our part. Have faith in us, and you can't go wrong."

"I know. Just wished there was a better way." Kai admitted, letting a droplet of sadness come over his features before it vanished under his hardened exterior.

"So do we." Oliver stated, nodding solemnly before all three were interrupted by the other set of car doors being slid open on the other side of the warehouse. The Frenchman's kind face quickly became a mask of steel as a car rolled in. "Our friends are here. Let's greet them and put all this to rest."

As they got closer, Rei couldn't help but fidget. His hands were starting to ache for some reason that he couldn't define, like he'd been using them for too long that even the bones were starting to protest. In the quiet of the car, he did his best to keep it to a minimum but eventually he tried stretching them, flexing them in and out of fists, even shaking them. Next to him, Lee gave him a perplexed look. After a while he finally asked. "Somethin' wrong?"

Looking up, Rei nodded as he glanced back at his hands in confusion. "Yeah, my hands just started aching. Like they're overworked or somethin'. Even though I've barely done anything today too. It's weird."

"Maybe it's tension. It'll pass." Lee commented, readjusting his hold on the shotgun between his legs, the bulky weapon thumping mildly against the floorboard.

Rei only nodded again, shaking his hands vigorously as though he could flick the odd sensation away. "I hope so, else I can't hold my gun properly."

No one said anything, the three other men sharing a dark look as they glanced at one another, Tyson's face etched with worry. Lee managed to keep a straight face while Max seemed almost to be made of stone. Unsure of what was going on, Rei decided to stay quiet and chalk it up to their own versions of 'tense'. Since they were the only ones assigned to the bust, even with men on the inside, there were still dozens of ways a situation like this could go sideways. A form of scenario no cop liked seeing more than one wounded or dead from a prolonged gun battle against their suspects. Back in China, Rei had seen many an arrest go south because of one mistake, one bad move that got many of his old friends hurt or worse. Coming to America had been a distant goal until he'd become an adult. Much to his relief, his old government had yet to approach him with some crazy, super-spy objective against his new home. Sitting in the back of Max's car, watching the large warehouse come into view, Rei hoped that would never come to pass. He also hoped that he and his friends got out of this unscathed.

As the second car came in, Kai waved one of the men over, the man rushing to his side with a hard look on his face. "Everyone, in positions, now. Anything goes wrong, shoot them dead."

"Yes sir." The man responded before running off again, shouting for others to gather quickly to cover the large openings and the car coming in. none of them had their weapons drawn and for good reason. Working for a gang wasn't all strutting your stuff, loud declarations and shows of bravado: it was about being clean, organized and professional while working the city's underbelly. All the other 'organizations' were nothing more than a bunch of children with more firepower than they should have, while they were adults who handled that same power carefully and with respect. One had enough brains to put a large table, sturdy and made of metal, into the middle of the floor between the two doors and the respective parties. Kai approached it with Enrique, Oliver and their guards following not far behind as some of the gangsters followed the car inside with a pair of shotguns and even a submachine gun. Items Kai saw as 'precautions' in the face of his former friends.

The car, a basic black Honda rental, stopped some distance from the door before its engine was shut off, its occupants moved to get out. In the passenger's side, Ian Papov was as short as ever, maybe close to five foot four in height, his almost freakish nose still taking up a good amount of his face, his dark hair still spiking a bit. Looking about, the man's rosewood colored eyes took everything in with cold efficiency before falling on Kai, narrowing at the sight of him. The driver, average in height and build was Bryan Kuznetsov, his matching pastel purple hair and eyes strange with his sharp features and grim expression. Both were dressed casually, the two closing their doors and moving to step forward if not for Kai's monotone command echoing off the walls. "Stop."

Coming to a quick halt, the two men glared at him in confusion but said nothing. Not bothering to meet their gazes, Kai called to the men behind them. "Search them."

If the pair were surprised they didn't show it as several of the gangsters flanked them, feeling around with a level of respect for anything hidden. The most they discovered were their wallets, a pack of gum, the keys to the rental and a gun each, a glock for Ian and a revolver for Bryan. Kai didn't bother asking about the guns. He was certain Oliver and Enrique had guns of their own and as the employers in the deal he had no reason to search for them. Blue grey eyes shards of cold, Kai stared the pair down without any remorse. "Where's the box?"

"In the trunk, shall I get it?" Bryan asked, somehow snide despite still having that uncaring tone Kai remembered he had.

Kai stared for a moment, his face a hard mask. "No. You, get the box and bring it here." He said to one of the men next to the pair before calling out. "Who has the crowbar?"

Another of the men came forward with a pair of the metal bars, holding one out to him which he took as the car alarm beeped, the trunk popping open. With a bit of struggling, two of the gangsters made it to the table with the heavy wooden crate and set it down gently so not to incur Kai's wrath. As he and another went at the box's lid with the crowbars, Ian and Bryan were nudged closer to the table by their watchmen who grudgingly complied. With a loud series of cracks and creaks, the lid came off revealing packing paper underneath, some of it flattened by the lid that'd once been in place. Handing the lid to one man and the crowbar to another, Kai reached in carefully and pulled back the many strands of shredded paper. He stared at the contents for a moment before moving away, turning to the pair behind him. "Sirs, if you'd inspect this. I'm sure only you can know of its authenticity."

"That I shall." Oliver asked, stepping towards the table, giving his friend a sympathetic look. "You never were any good at finding the finer details."

Enrique huffed in his ire, folding his arms as he glared at no one in particular. "Rub it in why don'tcha?"

Ignoring his friend, Oliver stepped closer as Kai moved away, the Frenchman's delicate hands reaching in to pull out an ancient gauntlet. It was very old if the design was to go by, colored modestly with forest green paint with gold trim that'd seen better days. On the hand cover, the weave connecting the two pieces together a simple black, were painted similar to the rest of the gauntlet save for the yin symbol upon it. Looking at the other still in the box, the second gauntlet was similar save for the yang symbol. Upon further examination, Oliver found that they could be easily slid onto one's arm, needing only a pair of small leather straps to tie them into place. "Hm, the colors are right as well as the weight. It's surprising they're in such good condition." In a rare show of suspicion, Oliver gave the two men a meaningful stare. "Have they been cleaned?"

"Be grateful we found 'em at all, all the dirt and rock they were buried in. We gettin' paid or what?" Ian demanded, glaring in turn but fell silent when Bryan nudged him.

He was silenced further when Kai bit out. "Not until the buyer verifies them, not before."

"Gentlemen please, there's no need for hostility." Oliver commanded, putting the gauntlet back into the box with care. "There is little doubt, these are what we seek. And once you inspect our own offer, we can part ways. Vince?"

"Sir." One of the bodyguards said as he moved forward with the briefcase, undoing the clasps and spinning it on the tabletop to face the other pair of men. Without any prompting, he opened the case to reveal clean bills within, stacked neatly all the way to the edge. Even from his spot near the edge of the table, Kai could tell there was at least several thousand inside in unmarked bills. Chump change to his foreign friends but from the looks on his old companions, it was the most they'd seen in a while. Bryan was the first to reach for it, picking up one of the bundles and examined it casually with a cold smile on his face. _Leave it to Bryan to come to love money instead of people._ Kai thought dryly as he watched on. A flicker of metal from above caught his attention but he refrained from looking. Knowing who it was, he wasn't about to give them away before things were ready.

From his spot on the walkway, Lee released the breath he didn't know he was holding. It was bad enough he'd been forced up high to cover the meeting by the others, who got to stay on the ground but he knew his role was vital. No one could escape a shotgun blast from above, even when they were expecting it. Max and Tyson had gone all the way around to cover the right hand side of the building, blocking Ian and Bryan in while Rei stayed on the left behind Enrique and Oliver's car. When they'd approached the building, they'd been pleased to find no one outside, the four men making their way swiftly across the open pavement. Once at the large car door, he and Tyson had peeked inside to see who was already there. Gathered near the table had been Kai and their informants as well as one of the bodyguards. The second one was still by the car, who paused to look their way if discreetly. Both men had given him grim looks and a nod, the man nodding back before shutting the door and walking away as if all was normal. Giving their companions a nod as well, Max ran along the metal wall as fast and as quiet as his legs allowed with Tyson not far behind. Signaling for him to stay put, Lee opened the side door some distance away and slipped in once he was sure no one was looking. This left Rei the only one covering Oliver and Enrique's escape should anything go wrong. He clearly hadn't liked being left by himself but hadn't protested, leaning against the wall with the shotgun in hand, occasionally peeking to see what was going on. Eyes of gold watched as the wooden crate was brought into view and opened, Lee fighting not to stand up to see what was inside. But when Oliver lifted one of the items out of the box, Lee knew exactly what he was looking at: the sacred armor of Byakko, of which he'd only seen drawings. Subconsciously Lee flexed his hands and arms, his memory recalling distinctly how he'd come across his own armored gauntlets. Under his shirt, he could feel his marks twitching in response to his recollections. Ignoring the sensation, Lee brought his shotgun to bear onto the targets below, waiting patiently for the money to appear. Once it did, that made the sale official, which then meant that given the circumstances, it was very illegal. As ordered, one of the bodyguard's moved forward with a briefcase, opening it for Ian and Bryan to inspect. Once open and investigated, Lee called out in the loudest voice he could muster. "NYPD! Drop your weapons and surrender peacefully!"

"Fat chance pig!" one gangster snarled, pulling out his pistol up at Lee, firing before Kai could stop him. He missed, the shots ricocheting off the metal of the walkway but Lee was much more accurate, the gangster's head and chest peppered with buckshot. Also in response, Max and Tyson came running in with their own shouted commands only forced to shoot as the men began to draw on them. Most fell hard, their chest wounds bleeding weakly as they lay unmoving. From his own side of the large building, Rei came bolting in, using the car as cover as he too fired at the henchmen once they spotted him. The shotgun let out loud retorts with each shot, taking down anyone he deemed a threat. On his left, he saw movement but didn't bring the gun down on them, having noticed how Kai and the bodyguards had moved to get Enrique and Oliver out of the line of fire. Having drawn their own guns, the bodyguards were using the doors of the car as cover to provide support, leaving Kai and Rei at the rear with the two foreigners.

Giving the Chinese detective a hard smirk, letting off shots now and again, Kai called over the noise to the other man. "Fancy meeting you here."

"You too. Didn't know this was such a hotspot. Shoulda told me. I'd have come 'round to see the sights like every other newcomer." Rei called back, going along with their oddly casual conversation despite all the blazing guns and angry shouting.

Across from him, pointing his own pistol at some of his former gang members, Kai shrugged noncommittally in response. "It's one of the lesser known attractions. Most avoid it because of the noise."

"You don't say?" Rei asked, somehow managing not to laugh.

Again angered by something not to his liking, Enrique called above the riotous noise at the two cops, glaring at them in equal measure. "I know this is rude and all but is this really the time for idle chit-chat? We're kinda being shot at here!"

"Sorry sir, Detective Rei Kon at your service. Just stay low and let us handle this." Rei assured him, taking the Italian's hand in a swift handshake before returning to his job: shooting gangsters trying to shoot him.

Enrique accepted the contact begrudgingly, but pulled his hand back in surprise, glancing between Rei and his limb as if he'd been shocked. Pale blue eyes wide, the blonde looked at the other cop in his awe. "Kai, is he-?"

"He is but we don't have time for that! We have to recover that box." Kai said, pointing to the table in the middle of it all where the crate sat. To everyone, it may as well have been a lottery ticket in the middle of speeding traffic.

"I think I see an opening. Cover me." Rei said, eyes of gold already calculating how best to get to it without getting hit.

Kai shouted after the man. "Rei wait!" but Rei wasn't listening, already darting away from the car and to a pile of junk further in. scowling, Kai ducked a shot that bounced off the car's roof, making him curse. "Shit."

Dropping the shotgun, since it was mostly out of rounds anyway, Rei ducked and ran from spot to spot, behind boxes and junk towards the table. He hadn't seen what was inside since his view of it had been blocked but at the very least his hands had stopped hurting. Or at least he thought they had. If not for having his pistol in hand, Rei would've thought them to have gone numb. For reasons unknown even to him, Rei felt he had to get closer to the box and soon before anything happened to it. At some point, Bryan had managed to snag the briefcase of money and in his haste, almost dropped it on his way to the rental. In all the chaos, Ian had done the same, bidding his much taller companion start the car up so they could get away. With Max and Tyson too busy to stop them, the pair pulled out and vanished, their car but a flash of metal and glass out of the corner of one's eye. Not that anyone could blame them, they were pinned behind boxes as the remaining gangsters shot at them relentlessly. Some were already making for the door Lee had used to sneak in, leaving anyone wounded or dead behind. The few that still remained were too focused on killing their hated oppressors to bother leaving. This suited Rei just fine as he came closer to the wooden crate, reaching towards it with an open hand. What happened next stopped him cold: the glove on his hand was crackling with neon green and white electricity, the luminance the dancing energy gave off light up a small space around him. In shock of this, Rei stared with wide eyes as more light came from under the glove, spreading across his exposed wrist in an oddly smooth fashion. He wanted to move, to cry out but found he couldn't as the lightning got stronger and brighter enough to blind the average man. When he did have the means to speak, the first thing out of his mouth was an agonized scream as the bolts spread all throughout his form.

Like a geyser made only of light and bolts of energy, the lightning shot up from the center of the building like a rocket, taking Lee and just about everyone else by surprise. Lee could only stare slack-jawed at the pillar of supernatural electricity in shock, or rather he would have if not for the heart-stopping scream coming from its source. Standing up and looking down, Lee cursed harshly at seeing Rei slowly collapsing to the floor in agony, his body wrought with the energy as he screamed as loud and hard as his lungs and throat would allow. His task swiftly abandoned, Lee almost didn't drop the shotgun as he bolted right for the metal staircase, taking the steps two or three at a time in his haste. Once on the ground floor he had no choice but to come to screeching halt as a bolt of the unnatural lightning lashed out, striking at a pile of boxes behind him, knocking the stack apart like a Jenga game. What few gangsters remained stared at the phenomenon with the same openmouthed look he'd had, their gun battle forgotten in favor of gawking at the spectacle before them. Or rather they would have if the shooting bolts didn't come for them, some struck hard while the others scrambled to get away. Any who were hit went down in a heap of limbs and steaming holes in their clothes. Even from a distance, Lee didn't have to doubt what their fate was, his golden eyes narrowing in calculation as he saw the others moving to get closer themselves. Being the only trustworthy humans in the room, the two bodyguards stayed by the car, wisely staying down and away from the storm of lightning before them. From the other side of the table, Max yelled for all who could hear over the crackling of energy and Rei's sustained screaming. "What do we do!?"

Edging towards his ailing friend, Lee shouted over the cacophony of crackles, booms and violent strikes. "You and Tyson grab the box! He's the air-type so he should be fine but be careful!" he didn't bother watching the pair move to obey as he looked to Kai, who was still standing beside Oliver and Enrique as they looked on in awe. "Kai, you have to help me out!"

"How?" Kai asked in rare hesitation. Of all the things to happen, he'd hoped it wouldn't be this.

Still edging closer, if very carefully, Lee didn't budge when one streak of energy zipped past him, hitting the floor somewhere behind him. "I'm the only thunder-type here, aside from him, so I redirect all this lightning. You need to be there to ground him."

"Ground him? I'm the fire-type! He needs an earth-type!" Kai protested, knowing that Oliver and Enrique were thinking the same thing. They were also the wrong element-affinity for this task.

Frowning but not backing down, Lee shook his head, hands up and ready to grab at his friend. "He is an earth-type but as members of the same circle he should react to you. Just grab hold of him same time as me and this should end quickly. It'll hurt but he's in much more pain than us and we've got to be quick." He understood Kai's reluctance but when he saw logic in his statement, the man nodded and moved to obey. "On three! One, two…THREE!"

On cue, both men jumped forward, Lee grabbing for Rei's sparking hands while Kai wrapped his arms around his chest. Both felt the powerful surge of energy as soon as they touched him but endured it, Lee already looking pale as his own hands sparked with lightning of black. At the man's back, Kai could already feel his own marks coming to life, his own power moving to do his bidding in neutralizing Rei's before it got to be too much. By now Rei had stopped screaming but was working his jaw, eyes screwed shut while tears fell in his agony. It didn't take long for the moisture to evaporate from the heat of the surrounding energy. Time seemed to stretch for them on into forever, save that the energy Rei was giving off slowly but surely dissipated into nothing. What remained crackled along the concrete floor before vanishing, Lee releasing his friend's hands as he flopped onto the cool surface in relief. Kai would have too if Rei wasn't so limp, likely having passed out at some point during it all, his breaths even but ragged. Sitting there as he too tried to regain his breath, Kai knew it was just the beginning.

Oh wow that was a chore! Given how it ended, it's how I wanted it. Almost twenty pages is really something, a mark I barely reach sometimes. Anyway I'm grateful for all the support I've been getting from you readers out there. You're really making my day with your faves and your reviews so keep 'em comin'! For now, coming soon in:

Next:

Chapter 3: Of the Beast Within

There's no hiding things now, not when the evidence is so plain to see. Now it's up to Lee, Kai and the others to make sure Rei understands not just who, but what he is. Can Rei adjust to all this change? Find out when '_Marked_' returns with:

_**Chapter 3: Of the Beast Within!**_


	3. Chapter 3: The Beast Within

Hello readers! Blue here with another addition to my fic '_Marked_'. Glad everyone's enjoying the story so far, knowing that my idea is unfolding so well. Special shout-out to guest reviewer Sunshine for giving me my first review for this story! Your prize? A ten-foot wide chocolate chip cookie, extra chunky and no, no nuts. That's just gross. Go get yourself some milk for that doughy discus. Left you guys with a real cliffhanger last time didn't I? I'm mean like that. But now you can forgive me cuz Chapter 3 is here! Remember, I don't own '_Beyblade_' in any way but I'd wish they'd revamp the original series. Enjoy!

"Iii" = speech

"_Iii_" = phone/radio speech

_Iii_ = thought

Chapter 3: Of the Beast Within

Sitting on the cold concrete of the warehouse at the edge of New York City, Kai felt tired though it wasn't even noon yet. The raging storm that'd been Rei's lightning power blasting out of control had finally stopped and left the whole place empty save for the soft rumbling of natural thunder in the sky outside. Looking down at the sleeping man in his grip, Kai wondered if that's where all his body heat was going. Given what his fellow officer and detective had been through, Kai couldn't blame him. Lee was lying on the floor, just as tired from dispelling most of the energy with his own power, which was dangerous in itself. The fact that it worked was a miracle. Sounds of shifting cloth and soft grunts distracted him from his charge as he saw Lee was finally sitting back up, the normally energetic man appearing sluggish. "Ugh that wasn't very fun."

"You okay?" he heard Max ask from where he and Tyson stood by the table.

Looking at the blonde, Lee nodded wearily. "Yeah, yeah I'll be fine. How's Rei?"

Shifting the raven-haired cop in his grip, Kai couldn't help but frown. "He's out cold. Considering how this all went down, I'd say he got the worst of it."

"I'll say. Damn what a light show! He must be as strong as us!" Tyson exclaimed in his usual child-like excitement.

Kai scowled at his coworker in annoyance. Now wasn't the time to treat what just happened like a game. "And he has no clue on how to control it. Someone has to go back and tell the captain what happened while the rest of us get this guy someplace more comfortable. Someplace away from the public, can't have people wonderin' if he was kidnapped."

As if on cue, Oliver stepped forward, his normally kind violet eyes hard like the jewels they almost appeared to be. "Our hotel is very discreet. We can even get him in through the back. Getting him past the cameras shouldn't be a problem either."

"Sounds good to me. Let's get that vest off him though, lighten the weight a bit." Lee muttered as he forced himself to stand, pointing at the wooden crate with shadow filled eyes as he did. "Tyson, you and Max put the box in the car and take it someplace safe then head back to the precinct to report in. I'll go with these guys to watch over Rei."

"You can take our car. It has better seating." Enrique spoke up, his face showing he was actually taking things seriously for once.

Kai nodded before something struck him. "What about you two?"

"We'll take Kai's car." Enrique declared, a devilish grin coming onto his lips. "I've always wanted to drive an authentic '69."

Giving the Italian a deadpan stare, Kai fished his keys out of his jacket and tossed them to brunette detective. "Lee, take my car and drive them. I'll go with the guards in the other car."

Pocketing them with a jingle of metal, the Chinese cop nodded, the two of them working to get Rei's jacket off so to get the vest underneath. "Good idea. He's still unstable but it seems like your own power is keeping his in check. I'll get his legs."

Already one of the bodyguards was jogging ahead to get the door to the town car open as the other looked to their employers. Even then his face was hard as rock as he spoke. "One of us should go with you sir. It's our job to keep you safe, no matter how strong you both are."

"A fair point, one I won't argue against. Vince can come with us while Jake drives lead car back to the hotel. Is that good for you Jake?" Oliver called to the second guard by the car.

Turning at the sound of his name, the guard named Jake nodded, already pulling the keys out of his own pocket, closing the door after Kai and Rei. "That suits me just fine sir. We'll get this done." He promised as he opened the driver's door and slipped in, already putting the key in the ignition.

"Let's get going." Kai stated from the back of the car, Jake nodding as he put the car in gear and pulled out of the warehouse, easily making his way onto the road and into late morning traffic. Above everything, the clouds were a dark grey and filling the air with bouts of hazy rainfall that mostly sprinkled everything with a slim layer of moisture. Yet it all did little to distract Kai from his fellow passenger, who now lay on the seat with the occasional spark of lightning making him twitch. It pained Kai to see his kind expression marred by relenting agony and confusion but knew it was the same for him when this had happened years before. _Only I was a kid then and it probably hurt even worse than it would now._ Kai thought, unable to chase the dark memories away. His chances to have a normal childhood had been shattered by his grandfather Voltaire and his just as foul lackey, Boris. The two men had made the lives of him and his friends' complete hell, a torture only he and Tala had successfully escaped from as young teens. Of Ian and Bryan, he'd seen where they'd fallen but their much older companion Spencer hadn't been so lucky. _To do so much for us, just so we could escape. He shouldn't have paid for something he never got to use._

He was brought out of his thoughts by the smooth shift of the car coming to a halt, Jake looking back at him through the rearview mirror. "We're here sir."

"I'll leave it to you." Kai responded, his mouth a grim line at the sight of another bright jolt that made Rei cringe in response. Still he didn't wake, which only made Kai even more concerned.

"Yes sir." Jake stated politely as he exited the car, shutting it gently behind him as he went to the sole door leading into the back of the hotel.

The sound of another engine coming from behind his caught Kai's attention a few minutes later, making him twist to see his car stop and shut off. Exiting the car, Lee made sure the doors were locked before jogging over, opening the town car's door to look inside. Once he did, Kai gave him a questioning stare. "Where's the others? I thought they were with you."

"They had to go in through the front to check in at the desk. If they didn't, it would look suspicious. Vince said I could park back here." Lee informed him, his gold eyes quickly falling on the still sleeping man between them. "He still out?" he asked, frowning at seeing green bolts crawl along the man's arm.

Kai let out a sigh, shaking his head. "Like a light." The sound of door squeaking open, Kai turned again to see the bodyguard was back, giving them a nod before calling out. "Jake, hold the door, Lee get his legs."

"On it." Lee promised, shutting his door to go around to the other one so Kai could get out first, grabbing Rei's lifeless legs as instructed once he was halfway out of the car.

The guard called back as he did as he was bid, watching the pair maneuver their friend into the small hallway. "I've spoken with the staff. They'll let us pass through and have arranged for guests to be vacant from the halls. Our request has also reached security and they've promised discretion."

"Won't we still be on tape though?" Lee asked through his efforts, watching Jake shut the door behind them only to move ahead to the elevator. _At the other end of the hall, great._ Kai silently grumbled to himself but endured it as the pair went on. Thankfully the elevator was already there and opened by someone who appeared to be one of the hotel staff. Jake dismissed him with a nod and handshake. Kai and Lee both knew the man just received his tip.

Ignoring the man's swift, and discreet departure, the bodyguard ushered them in. "We've convinced them to do a permanent playback over our segment on the drive. Any evidence of our passing will be found and dealt with." Jake informed them calmly, smiling warmly as he pressed the 'up' button on the wall. "Within the confines of the law, of course."

"Of course, otherwise you just admitted to illegal tampering to a bunch of cops. Remind me to get you guys some beer." Lee chuckled as they set Rei onto the floor, Kai making sure he was propped against the wall, keeping a hand on his shoulder so he wouldn't fall down.

"I look forward to that, sir." Jake said with a laugh of his own, smiling wide and friendly at how he and the officer were getting along.

The smile faltered a bit when Kai let out a loud scoff into the quiet of the elevator. "Just don't expect it to be all that good. You get more in a month than us in a year."

"Not everything about my job is glamour and fine dining. I still order out like everyone else sometimes." Jake retorted calmly, his smooth features only just offset by his furrowing brow.

Lee's bark of triumph filled the small space. "See Kai? I'm not the only guy watchin' his money! Jake's a normal guy, fancy suit be damned!"

"You're still probably going to drink it all. And when one thing leads to another…." Kai stated coolly, smiling when Lee's naturally tan face darkened with a blush.

"Dammit Kai don't fuck with me! That joke's not even funny." Lee growled, anger flaring at his friend and fellow cop.

Kai's smile grew a little wider at his friend's discomfort, noting that Jake was struggling not to laugh at them. "And yet you're still blushing."

"Damn you!" Lee snarled but was distracted by an innocent _bing_ and the smooth _whoosh_ of the opening doors. Ire quickly forgotten, Lee seemed to calm down in seconds. "Ah, we're here."

"This way sirs." Jake managed to say with an indifferent tone, though his struggle not to smile wasn't hard to see.

"Right. C'mon." Kai responded as he and Lee both bent down to pick their friend back up again, who had yet to awaken even then.

"Got him?" Lee asked as he looked back at the silver-haired man behind him.

"Yeah, let's go." He said, trying desperately to ignore his growing fatigue as the traveled through the luxuriously decorated hallways. Thankfully they didn't have to walk far, coming to a set of double doors no doubt leading to one of the main suites.

Once again, Jake opened the door for them, revealing that Oliver, Enrique and Vince had arrived before them. Oliver was the first to speak, motioning for Vince to open one of the spare bedroom doors. "Good you made it. There's a spare bed in here." As they moved towards the secluded space, the Frenchman was speaking again. "Lee, does your sister have work today?"

"Not for the rest of the week, want me to call her?" he called back through the door, he and Kai setting the unconscious man down gently onto the bed, pausing long enough to take his shoes off and cover him with the sheets. As an afterthought he tossed Rei's suit jacket over the chair at the desk. Upon seeing his friend's empty holster however, he wanted to hit himself right in the face. _Of all the things to forget!_ He mentally admonished but decided against worrying over it, at least for the moment. Where the man's gun was Lee didn't know anymore and if he couldn't find it, either Tyson or Max certainly would.

Pushing the thought aside, with full knowledge that if Rei wasn't awake by now, his voice certainly wouldn't as he and Kai exited back into the living room, Oliver nodded. "Yes, tell her we're sending someone to get her, and to bring all she can. We need to be certain of Rei's condition. Until we know just what we're dealing with, we can't do our jobs."

"Got it. I can stay here in case he flares up again." Lee muttered, taking off his jacket only to frown upon seeing that Kai was leaning against the wall by Rei's door with both hands on his face as if trying to wipe them clean of something. "You okay Kai?"

Pulling his hands away, Kai shook his head, blue-grey eyes awash with fatigue. "Not really. Just dizzy all of a sudden."

"Sit down, it could be the after effects of getting his power under control. Hopefully what energy you've spent already will be enough to keep him stable." Enrique suggested from his own spot, pointing to one of the open seats vaguely.

"So do I. This whole thing took a lot out of me." Kai didn't hesitate to occupy one of the plush chairs, relaxing into the cushioned piece of furniture as if he were alone in the room.

"Jake, call down to the kitchens for all of us, as well as Vince and yourself for when he comes back with Miss Mariah. Should any more be needed we'll order it ourselves." Oliver stated to the bodyguard as he too sat back down, this time onto one of the sofas.

"Yes, very good sir. I'll get that done at once." Jake reaffirmed with a nod, reaching into one of his jacket pockets for a granola bar he'd been saving as a snack for himself. Instead he handed it to Kai on his way to the hotel phone. "Try this Mr. Hiwatari, it should help some."

Kai looked over at him wearily, blinked at the proffered snack bar, taking it with a tired smile. "Thanks Jake."

"Rest easy sir." Jake said casually, heading right for the phone as though nothing had occurred between them. As he picked up the receiver, he felt a spark of satisfaction when he heard the wrapper being torn but quickly ignored it. "Yes, room service?"

Mariah Wong sat in her living room, enjoying her week off at home when the high pitched jingle of her cell phone brought her back to reality, the sudden noise almost making her drop her book to the floor. The only people who called her were her coworkers or her brother, and he was supposed to be at work himself. He'd even warned her that some activity would make her marks flare in response and to not worry over it. As he'd said, her marks, covering mostly her arms, shoulders and back in the form of cat spots had flickered to life with the neon pink that matched her hair. The sensation was uncomfortable but she bore with it, knowing that it was likely her brother and his coworkers using their abilities in the city somewhere. But the fact he was calling told her something was wrong. Getting to her feet, her golden yellow eyes found the device in question on the kitchen counter where she always left it. Sure enough, her brother's name was plain to see on the screen as she picked it up and pressed the proper control before putting it to her ear. "Lee?"

"_Hey sis! What're you doing right now?_" her brother's voice asked with faint traces of his usual enthusiasm.

A sign that something was amiss but she kept her voice level anyway. "Not much, you know that. Why?"

His fake tone fell like a rock, grave words coming through the phone instead. "_We need a healer. Are you fully stocked?_"

"Yes, I should be. Who am I treating?" she asked, curious on what was going on. Her long experience told her it was probably him.

His answer took her off guard. "_Rei._"

"What?" she demanded in her shock, openly gaping though she was alone and no one could see it.

Lee's voice sounded heavy over the phone, hinted with regret and worry. "_Yeah I know we knew it would happen but his reaction was bad. It took two of us to diffuse him and we need your help. How soon will you be ready?_"

Mariah calculated it all in her head, the numbers and lists rushing by before she answered half a moment later. "I just need ten minutes. Where am I going?"

Relief was easy to hear in his voice as he responded to her question. "_A hotel downtown, one of the ritzier ones. Oliver and Enrique sent their driver to get you. I had to stick around in case he starts shooting bolts again._"

"What? Bolts? Again?" she asked, perplexed.

Her brother let out a tired sigh. "_I'll explain when you get here just… grab your things and wait outside for the car._"

Knowing she wasn't going to get anything else out of him, Mariah scratched at her hair, leaning against her counter as she spoke. "Alright. Alright I get it. But I want the whole story when I get there."

"_You will and when he'd ready, so will Rei._" Lee said, some of his humor returning to his voice. "_See you in twenty._"

"See you there." She affirmed, quickly hanging up to jog to her room for more weather appropriate clothes.

As promised, Mariah was dressed and ready on the curb outside her apartment complex, wearing a long coat that came to her knees with a hood against the rain. Though like every other woman out there, she had her purse with her essentials but she also had a large duffel bag in basic black. If anyone asked, she played it off as 'some clothes a friend needed for work', letting out a breath when those who'd inquired bought the story. She was a very compatible employee at her job and helping with lost, damaged or even destroyed uniforms. Untrue to her ethnic group's stereotype, Mariah didn't work at a laundry shop, instead held a respectable position at a clean bar which was often frequented by cops like her brother. Her duty to their group, however, was more basic and based on a mixture of ancient and modern principles. Being the only of their kind for miles who was a healer, Mariah found herself on call whenever her brother and their friends got in over their heads or went overboard. Standing on the curb, waiting for the driver her brother had promised, Mariah couldn't help but feel anxious. They'd only known Rei for less than a year but upon meeting him, they knew he was like them even when he clearly didn't know it himself. She'd only met him a few times, and every time he was kind and charming, treating her as a sister and a lady both. In comparison with her brother, Rei was the perfect gentleman, always smiling with a kind word to say. But he could be different now, what happened today could have made him cold and distant like Kai. At least I hope not. She thought, her slim hand gripping the bag straps anxiously. Thankfully she was soon distracted by the arrival of a pristine black town car, the vehicle smoothly stopping before her as a man in a very expensive suit got out.

Looking at her inquisitively, the man asked. "Miss Wong?"

"Yes that's me." She responded, letting him come closer so he could get the door for her as was his job.

Giving her a friendly smile, the well-dressed man held the door as he spoke. "I'm Vince, and I've been asked by Mr. Giancarlo and Mr. Polanski to be escorted to their location."

"Thank you. And if you'd deal with this please, it's fairly heavy." She said, handing him the duffel before slipping into the pristine car's back seating.

"Of course." Vince responded politely, shutting the door after her, diverting to the trunk long enough to put the bag in prior to retaking the driver's seat. Once inside and buckling up, he looked back at her through the rearview mirror. "All settled Ms. Wong?"

Mariah nodded, her face set in a grim expression. "As fast as you can Vince, I sense that my skills will be put to great use today."

"Understandably. I should get you there in good time Ms. Wong." Vince assured her, the car already in gear, with the guard watching for any other cars before pulling back onto the road.

In the quiet of the car, Mariah found she couldn't keep her curiosity under wraps for very long. "What of my brother? He wouldn't tell me much over the phone."

Vince frowned before answering, knowing that even then, someone could be listening in somehow so he chose his words carefully. "They're all fine Ms. Wong. Very tired but in good health. As I know, only Mr. Kon is in desperate need of your services."

Mariah nodded slowly, getting the hint easily. "I see. Thank you, you've eased my mind some."

"Just speaking the truth ma'am." Vince stated calmly, taking on late morning traffic like a seasoned pro.

Mariah fell quiet after that, looking out the rain covered window at the passing scenery, honestly feeling better knowing her brother hadn't been too reckless again. She'd always been the one to patch him up when they were kids, even more so when their powers awoke. And knowing the others like she did, it was a wonder they didn't come to her every other week covered in bruises or worse. Like them she was a capable fighter but as the only healer they knew, taking her with them wasn't an option. As much as she hated being left behind, Mariah couldn't deny that losing her would hurt the group and their mission. It didn't stop her from training with them to keep not theirs but her skills sharp should the need arise. The drive to the hotel took close to twenty minutes, as expected. Like before, Vince opened the door for her, holding an umbrella over her head against the still sprinkling moisture from above until she got under the extended awning. Ahead of them the doorman smiled politely as he let her in, the young woman smiling in turn with a soft 'thank you' as Vince followed her inside with her duffel in hand. With subtle whispers, Vince guided her to the elevator, both it and the lobby full of some of the city's elite and more accomplished foreign visitors. Most ignored Mariah but a few gave her dark looks until Vince stared them down. Two or three accompanied them upwards to the higher floors, wisely paying the pair no mind if more of Vince's passive glowering was to go by. Like the rest of the hotel, the hall that appeared when the doors opened was spacious as it was luxurious, Mariah almost staying put long enough to stare at the amount of splendor before her that she'd probably never see again.

Vince guided her to a set of double doors at the very end, likely a high class suite given how large the building itself was. Ever the gentleman, he opened the doors for her, letting her walk in first as she finally took her hood off. Once inside, several things greeted her: like the rest of the hotel, the room was large and lavishly accented by paintings, fresh flowers and designer furniture. Large windows gave whoever stayed there impressive views of the city, several doors leading to the various facilities of the suite. Before her though, several men sat in waiting, all eating what looked like high class meals. Or at least two of them were, while others like her brother were eating something more basic and by his terms, edible. That 'something' was, quite predictably, a burger with a side of fries and soda. Gold eyes that matched hers snapped to the door as she entered, a smile coming onto his tired face as he put his burger down to greet her properly. "Mariah, glad you're here."

Just by looking at him she could see the fatigue, small marks having appeared under his eyes which she knew wasn't from his many hours spent at work. "No wonder you're eating at nearly nine in the morning! You look terrible! What happened?"

Raising his hands to calm her, Lee spoke as casually as he could. "Rei awakening is what happened. It was pretty rough. Plus I think Kai took the worst of it." He said, pointing the silver-haired man out before spotting their hosts. "Dammit I almost forgot. Mariah, this is Oliver and Enrique, our foreign contacts."

"The ones you get my special herbs from?" Mariah asked, raising an eyebrow at the well-dressed pair.

Oliver chuckled, Enrique only smiling as his compatriot spoke. "Well we do know the right people, and we figured whenever he called for them, they were meant for a special reason. It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Mariah. We're sorry to have called you during your week off but we know no one on this side of the ocean with your skills to assist in this." The Frenchman smiled sheepishly. "Our own healer is back in Scotland, and is a tad eccentric."

"No, I understand. Even if he hadn't called me, I would've found out eventually. Lee has long since discovered it's hard to keep a secret from me." At that, she didn't hesitate to punch said brother in the arm.

Rubbing at his now aching limb, Lee stared at her in surprise. "Ow! What was that for?!"

"For being an idiot, letting this happen. Did you even try to tell him at all?" she hissed, some of her own spiritual power flaring to life, making more than one person stare at how the neon pink energy came out of her back like a ethereal mist.

Knowing he was in trouble, Lee spoke quickly in hopes of calming her down. "We didn't know what would happen once we got the gauntlets! If it'd happened like it had for me, we might not be in this mess right now."

This information snapped Mariah out of her rage, the energy vanishing as quickly as it'd appeared, golden yellow eyes wide in shock. "Whoa, wait a minute. Gauntlets? Someone actually found them?"

"Yes and we've since acquired them. They're currently in Tyson and Max's possession until this is all sorted out. Until Rei can control his abilities, reuniting them could be dangerous and not just for him. Byakko is a powerful creature, one lesser spirits like us have no chance of matching." Enrique stated from his seat, his smile gone in favor of a grimmer look.

"Kai could but he's pretty fried. Max would do it but since they're complete opposites, he'd become barbeque. I'm sure Tyson would volunteer but the result would be the same. We have to deal with this, fast." Lee said basically to the room, daring to straighten up some now that his sister wasn't on edge of killing him.

Mariah scowled, her mind already trying to come up with solutions. "I don't like it but I'll do what I can. At least I remember enough on what to do from when we met Tyson."

"From when you met Tyson?" Oliver asked, glancing between the pair curiously.

The siblings couldn't help but smile a bit as Lee nodded, deciding it was a good time as any to inform them. "Yeah, we had this same problem from him but instead of being shocked, the most you had to worry about was being blown out the damn window. It's a wonder he found any control the way he kept making gales appear in a closed room. Took him a few months to get the hang of it but he's perfectly stable now. Hopefully we can do the same with Rei."

"And Kai?" Mariah asked, looking at the silver-haired man boneless and all but slumped in the armchair near the corner of the room. "How is he?"

"Actually he's been pretty quiet. Must've been more tired than I thought." Lee muttered, holding back a chuckle at how peaceful the man looked.

Taking pity on him, Mariah signaled for Vince to follow her with the bag. "I'll check on him later then." Jake, the other guard, moved to open the spare room's door for her as Vince followed close behind. She stopped just at the door, turning to the men all watching her. "I'll take it from here Vince, I'll call if I need help. Tell me if Kai wakes up before I'm finished."

"Yes ma'am. Was there something you wished to have for lunch?" Vince asked, handing her the bag, both men making sure not to crowd her in the small space.

Mariah smiled kindly at him but shook her head. "Very kind but I'll decide that later. Eat if you haven't already. Hopefully I won't be in here too long."

"We'll do that ma'am." Jake assured her, earning one more smile before she turned into the darkened room, the guard shutting the door behind her.

Not wasting time, Mariah headed right for the bed, golden eyes looking over her patient with expert precision. Those same eyes flashed pink, switching to a more exclusive type of vision only she possessed. And what she saw made her blink: the man before her was swathed in neon green energy, both in mist and energy form. Upon further examination, she felt a pang of surprise to see the marks on his hands were now bigger and stretched a good ways up his forearms, looking very much like stripes from a real tiger. From the way he twitched and shifted in his sleep, his kind face twisting time and again in a grimace told her none of this was by choice. Pulling over one of the chairs set up in the room, Mariah set the bag down on it before zipping it open, sifting through its contents thoughtfully. Using the bedside table and its lamp, she set a few vials and jars down on the fine wood surface, deciding then to shed her coat to fold over the back of the chair. Knowing that her work was bound to get messy, she'd worn an older shirt but had a spare in the bag for when she needed it when she finished. Pulling back the sheets and expertly taking Rei's gun holster strap, as well as his work and under shirts off, Mariah picked up one of the jars she'd chosen. Opening it up and sticking her finger inside, and using her special vision, Mariah began to sketch symbols over his skin. Like before, Rei twitched at the sensation, even groaned but didn't wake up. She emerged roughly two hours later, wearing her spare long sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up and her hands stained with what looked like green and black. The cloth in her hand still worked to get some of it off.

Lee gave her a worried look as she reentered the main part of the suite, the pink-haired woman honestly tired from her task. Still it didn't keep her from smiling at her brother. "It'll take a while but he should be fine now. The most we can do now is wait."

"And you? It didn't take too much did it?" he asked, gazing at her curiously and with a hint of worry in his voice.

Fighting the urge roll her eyes, Mariah frowned lightly. "As you said, he's powerful and he needs to get it under control but hopefully what I've already done will keep things from escalating. But right now I should look at Kai." Approaching said man's chair, the pink-haired woman put a hand on his shoulder and gently shook him awake, calling softly. "Kai? Kai can you hear me?"

Kai back to awareness slowly, blue grey eyes blinking sleepily as they focused on his surroundings before they fell on the woman standing next to him. "Huh? Mariah? When did you get here?"

"About two hours ago. How do you feel?" she asked, watching the man carefully as he wiped some of the fatigue from his face.

Eventually he spoke, his voice more certain and less dredged by sleep. "Tired, groggy. Like I haven't slept enough." He admitted. A part of him wanted to just kick Lee and Oliver off the couch and sleep there. Another part demanded to know what was wrong.

He didn't have to ask as Mariah answered it for him. "That sounds about right. You and Rei seem to be at the same power level so naturally it'd take more to calm him down." At that she smiled warmly at him. "You should eat something, get some of that strength back."

"You too. You don't look so good yourself." Kai told her as he sat up some more, stretching a bit to get his limbs back in working order. Already his body was complaining for falling asleep fully clothed and in leather.

Mariah laughed a bit, nodding as she went to plop down in the other arm chair across from Kai's. "And I feel it too. But it's not exactly what I'm unfamiliar with. So is anyone going to fill me in on what exactly happened today?" she asked, her question rather pointedly directed at her sibling, who winced. He was caught and now he had no way out.

Knowing better than to skimp on the details, Lee stuffed a fry or two into his mouth as he spoke. "With Oliver and Enrique's help, we got word that someone found some pieces of Byakko's armor so we got Kai to get his gang contacts to act as protection under the guise it was a black market buy. As a test we decided to bring Rei along, see how he'd react. Shows what we know."

"Why? What happened?" Mariah asked, glancing between the men around her.

Unable to contain himself, Enrique burst into the conversation with a frustrated growl escaping his throat. "They rejected each other is what happened. Poor guy damn near made himself into a living lightning rod. It was like he stepped into a puddle with a live wire in it. Could be it's because he's had no training that they couldn't align, thus the major rejection. I've never seen someone in such pain before!"

"I have." Kai stated darkly, letting the following silence be his words.

All gathered in the room couldn't help but stare at the floor, fighting the urge to give the silver-haired man pitying looks. Lee was the first to regain his composure a bit, though he couldn't help but thrown Kai a look of sympathy. "Lucky for Rei we were there and we actually intend on keeping him alive. Hopefully before Boris or someone else discovers where he is. For now, it'd probably be best if we play it safe, make sure news doesn't get out that he's been found."

The dark moment gone, Mariah sat up in her seat, her smooth face rigid with grimness and golden yellow eyes hard. "I agree. Until he can fend for himself, power or not, letting him walk around where another of us might see or sense him would be unwise." Leaning back into the cushioned back of the chair, the pink-haired woman glanced at the spare bedroom door with honest concern in her eyes. "For now, we wait for him to wake up and hope that he accepts what we tell him."

Consciousness came to Rei slowly, the weight of his oddly tired body holding him down in a fashion he found deeply disturbing. Never had he awoken when his limbs were too heavy to move. He half expected everything to be sore and aching like all the times he'd exercised too long in his office/gym that was the spare room of his apartment. Blinds kept a myriad of his neighbors from watching him (it was human nature after all, to seek knowledge if at the expense of being called strange), along with the proximity of the room with his bathroom and his actual bedroom made cleaning up afterwards quite easy. Only he wasn't in his room, or his apartment either if the odd darkness of the room he was in was to go by. And what little he could see he couldn't recognize. Last he knew, he'd been shooting at gangsters in the warehouse near the bay, moving to a wooden crate… _and then nothing. But why? What I do remember is mostly…pain. So much pain just thinking about it hurts. And why can't I move?_ He thought as he again tested his mobility, only to find he really couldn't move, and when he could, all it did was send sharp agony through him. Worse, he couldn't express his pain, only continue to lie on the bed in the mystery room, covered in sheets that only seemed to weigh him down even more. Eventually giving up, Rei decided to examine his surroundings instead, golden yellow eyes taking in what amount of the room was truly visible. Going by the dim sunlight coming in through the blinds and the drapes, Rei gauged that a few hours had passed since they'd gone to the warehouse early that morning. Or at least that was his guess since his sudden bout into unconsciousness had thrown off his inner clock. Twisting his head from one side to the other, neither of the bedside tables had clocks on them, further sinking him into confusion.

Sharp, stabbing pain quickly distracted him, making him grit his teeth and hold down the cries of agony he was certain why his throat felt unbearably sore. Another jab came, making him stiffen in response, refusing to voice the pain it was causing him as yet another followed. Each time it was the same but took less time to occur, almost insistent that he pay attention to something but what he didn't know. Once more the pain echoed through him, his brain finally registering it was coming from his hands which he couldn't see due to his entire body from the shoulders down was covered in sheets. Determined now, Rei moved his arms in an effort to sit up, maybe reach the lamp to see better and have a better idea where he was. His body protesting to his movements, he had to fight down whimpers as each muscle and bone voiced their displeasure at his actions. Forced to stop, Rei found he was at least sitting up on his own, the sheet having fallen off his chest to pool in his lap. _Now all I have to do is reach for the lamp and figure out where I am._ This line of thought was sidetracked when even in the dimness of the room, Rei could see the very edge of his forearm and saw something was off about it. An odd smudge, blacker than black, somehow curved around his flesh in a fashion he knew wasn't there before. Taken aback by this oddity, Rei glanced between his arm and the lamp as he forced the limb to extend towards the fixture, feeling for the switch for but a moment prior to finding it and clicking the lamp on. The lamp's light flooded his vision, making him see spots and forcing him to blink them away, gazing about the room. Curiosity rose back to the surface as his golden yellow eyes took in every detail, from the off beige walls, expensive looking paintings and the rather expensive looking wooden desk to his far right. Everything looked perfectly dusted and polished, not to mention beyond his pay grade, Rei could only assume someone had brought him there for a purpose that escaped him.

His inspection of the room complete, he turned back to his arm only for his eyes to widen in shock, his body seeming to freeze up on its own: all across his forearm were large black stripes similar to the ones on his hands. Except these varied from nearly an inch thick or almost delicately painted lines, all looking like tattoos without the blazing red of inflamed skin. Lifting his other arm to examine it, Rei felt ice cold upon seeing that his right mirrored his left in almost the exact same way, the patterns similar but varying, same as a real tiger's stripes. As if to drive the point home, another wave of pain flowed through him, starting from his hands, up his arms and into the rest of his aching body. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes at the unpleasant sensation as he kept his silence, even though he desperately wanted to express his discomfort over his situation. For all he knew, crying out would make whoever was beyond the bedroom's door come rushing in, leaving him vulnerable to whatever they had planned. Or at least that was the suspicion. Last he recalled, nearly all the gangsters had been dealt with and only his friends remained. If that was true, why bring him here and not his apartment? Why someplace so clearly unfamiliar to him? _Just what is going on?_ He thought to himself, wracking his brain for the answer only to come up with nothing. Which left him with one choice: once someone came to check on him, he had more than a few questions for them.

Distant voices brought Rei back to reality, light peeking in from the next room at the small gap between the door and the carpet flooring. A shadow passed, the voice still muffled but vaguely familiar, casting itself through the light from one side to the other as the person moved toward then away from the door. Determined to get the answers he desperately wanted, Rei shifted his legs, found they ached but not to the point of being useless. Usually his state of undress would've made him self-conscious if not for the fact that someone had the mind to leave his pants on. Aside from that, he only had his socks. Pulling the sheets off his legs, Rei finally noticed that someone had painted designs onto his chest and shoulders with something that didn't look like any paint he'd seen before. Shifting to sniff at some of it, he wrinkled his nose upon getting a strong herbal smell in return for his efforts, some of it already dry and cracking as he moved to get up. Another oddity caught his interest at the sight of a chair just in front of him, a large black duffel bag on the floor and what looked like a coat thrown over the back. And if his eyes weren't fooling him, it looked just like one Mariah owned. Much to his relief, both of his shirts were on the chair seat but he only grabbed the t-shirt, struggling to put it on despite aching limbs and throbbing pain still begging for his attention. Finally getting to his unsteady feet, Rei found walking easy aside from the ever insistent pain sending wave after wave through his tired body. After what felt like an eternity, Rei made it to the door, quietly turning the handle as he tried not to lean too heavily against the wall. Though he would've liked to make a much stealthier entrance, the light squeak of the door seemed to echo in the relative quiet of the much larger room. This, in turn, got every person there to stop talking so they could turn and look at him with eyes full of surprise and concern.

From his seat, Lee couldn't help but wince at how his friend looked. Just that morning he'd been completely healthy and full of vigor, primed and ready for whatever their job would throw at them. Now he looked like he'd been run over by a bus and somehow lived to tell about it. Sure his physical appearance hadn't diminished but his normal energy sure had. The way he moved told his inner detective that Rei was still in pain, though probably less now that Mariah had tended to him. Despite looking dead-tired, the man still had that undeniable edge in his eyes, a gaze that missed nothing and saw everything. What's more, his usual kindness was nowhere to be found in said eyes, only countless questions coupled with frustration and confusion. Only when the man started to talk, or the most he could achieve, made Lee feel even guiltier about their situation. His voice was so scratchy and hoarse, none of them ignore the underlying anger despite him sounding like a busted radio speaker. "Why…here? What… happened to me? Where's…gun?"

"Your gun? Why?" Lee asked, confused by the last question though mentally he was kicking himself for once again forgetting about his friend's misplaced weapon.

Rei only scowled angrily at him, thunder from outside rumbling in time with his barely functioning throat. "…shoot you…in…face. That's why." Again struggling to speak and stand, he raised an arm to show them the stripes on it, fear and confusion bleeding into his eyes as he looked to each of them for the answer. "Explain…this!"

"We'll get to that but you need to sit down. Vince, water please. Jake, the food as well, be sure it's still warm." Mariah stated as she stood up, not hesitating to walk over to her ailing friend, taking one of his arms to help him into the room. Lee was quick to follow and take his other arm, the siblings guiding him to the couch.

"Yes ma'am." The pair of guards responded as they moved to obey her, both men quick to return with the things she asked for.

"We've got you buddy. Just take it easy okay?" Lee assured him, both of them helping Rei sit in the space Lee had vacated, Enrique moving to the other couch next to Oliver to give them room to maneuver.

Relieved to be sitting down again, Rei still glared at his friend and coworker, ever struggling to speak past his torn throat. "Only…you tell me…truth."

Moving some of the items on the coffee table, Lee didn't hesitate to sit on it to face his friend, waiting until the man got a few sips of water from the glass Vince had given Mariah who then guided Rei so not to drink too much or spill it all over himself. "I will, we all will but you can't get excited or you'll go nuts again."

"Again? Why again?" Rei asked, his voice clearer but still rough, glancing around in his understandable confusion.

Taking a breath, oddly grim, Lee stared at his friend with an unblinking gaze. "What do you remember from the warehouse? Tell us everything."

"Gunfight, lots of bullets…tried to get to the crate then nothing. Then waking up here, to all this. Why?" Rei asked, staring back with the same level of severity.

Having been watching it all in silence, Kai finally spoke up, lounging rather lazily in his armchair with his leather jacket thrown over the back. "Actually that's simple: you were rejected. Made a real bright light show too."

Golden yellow eyes blinked in surprise at the man's words, his mind coming up blank to what he said. "What?"

His gaze quickly fell on Mariah as she clarified, her face sympathetic to his ignorance about his situation. "Rei, each of us have special…abilities that're tied to ancient spirits, animals like the four cardinal spirits of the Chinese zodiac. Most of what we know is lore that's probably exaggerated or straight up fiction. But it's not just Asia, there are others like us all over the world, most of whom have moved to the more modernized areas to escape the old ways or to try and make a better life for themselves. Only there are the rare few that hope to use said abilities to do bad things, either to hurt or control people."

"And…these have something to do with all that?" Rei asked, holding up one of his arms, the stripes upon it almost black as night against his pale skin.

Across from him Lee nodded, still uncharacteristically grim. "It does. The marks are something we've all had since birth, same as you. They're all unique, making it easy for us to identify each other. As one of the main four, your power far exceeds that of most of us except maybe Kai."

"Why?" he queried, glancing between the two men curiously. "What's his?"

"He's marked by Suzaku, like how you're marked by Byakko. Jake and Vince are normal people while the rest of us are lesser known spirits. Max is Genbu while Tyson is Seiryu." Lee informed him, pausing long enough for it to sink in. "In short, you're one of the four strongest of us all which is why the contents of the crate reacted when you got so close the way it did."

Rei stared, dread filling his heart that his very presence to the crate's contents had somehow unleashed a potential danger. "Something bad?"

Sensing what he meant, Mariah was quick to reassure him. "Actually no, it's something that actually belongs to you and any other marked like you in both past and future. Our writings say that to honor the four, their human representatives were given full suits of armor from the time period the text is written. Due to my brother's ineptitude however, reuniting the item with the owner has ended poorly with you on the sidelines."

"Hey! That's kinda harsh isn't it?" Lee protested, giving his sister a dark look.

Daring to smile, Kai chuckled low in his throat as though amused at Lee's reaction. "That is technically what happened Lee. No point in denying it."

"Thanks for your support." The Chinese detective growled, calming a little as he turned back to his friend. "But in all honesty, our confusion lies in why you didn't know all of this before we met you. Can you explain that?"

Frowning deeply at the question, Rei eventually shook his head. "No, I can't. My grandfather might know but he barely knows what day it is and my grandmother's been dead for years. I'm certain my parents are clueless. If there was anyone to tell me, I never met them or they were prevented from seeing me. Not sure which."

"What makes you say that?" Enrique asked with a puzzled scowl.

Glancing to watch Lee move away, making room for Jake and the plate of food they'd saved for him, Rei quietly thanked the man as he immediately dug in. The food, some breaded chicken with a tossed salad side, was still fresh and the heat from it rid Rei of some of his bodily discomfort as he spoke between bites. "My town was small, so everyone knew everybody basically. Any strangers would be spotted immediately. Only whenever they appeared, they were either just passing through or wandering around town like they were looking for something. I don't recall how many but a few might've ended up at my family's restaurant and all they'd do was sit and read, maybe drink tea and little else. Then they vanished as soon as they appeared. Never saw them again. I didn't know anything until you told me."

"And you never saw this as odd?" Oliver asked in turn, giving the Chinese man a kind look, knowing they couldn't put stock into a child's memory.

Again Rei shook his head, hating that he couldn't recall much else. "Only a select array of people ever showed up, mostly hikers going into the mountains or tourists on their way to more popular locations. Anyone beyond such groups was few and far between and never stayed very long. Not to mention I was a little kid when most of them came and went. If any showed up during my school years I didn't feel threatened enough to notice or they got better at hiding. Now though… I don't know. This is all so farfetched I can't help but believe it." Letting out a tired sigh, Rei put his fork and knife down as he ran a hand through his hair. "On top of the fact I feel like I got hit by a dump truck with a full load."

Smiling at him reassuringly, Lee chuckled at his friend, knowing what he meant. "We'll sort this out, don't worry. For now, focus on getting better so we can start your training. The longer you remain ignorant, the more likely what happened at the warehouse will happen again. And not when you expect it either. Tyson almost caused a full-on tornado back when he first started learning, and while he was passing through Times Square."

"I don't remember hearing about something like that…" Rei muttered, confusion taking over his features.

Lee all but threw his head back in amusement, most in the room sharing his smile over the memory. "Which is why I said 'almost' and why we're not on the front page. Lucky for him, and us, Max was there to keep him from losing it. Only one of the four can keep another from lashing out, which is what Kai had to do to keep you from frying everything in a five mile radius."

"You have to be exaggerating." Rei stated, staring at his partner in bewilderment.

From his spot, Oliver became grim again. "Sadly, we're not. The four cardinal spirits are known for having immense power. Others of your level are capable of the same but their number is more numerous which makes it twice as difficult to keep each other in line. And that's simply because they're from the western zodiac. So getting you up to speed is our top priority."

"Speaking of which, why did I wake up covered in herbal goop?" Rei asked, glancing between those gathered in the room.

Next to him, Mariah had the mind to look a bit sheepish. "That's my fault. Though I'm a lesser spirit, I still have purpose as the healer and keeper of knowledge of our group. Oliver and Enrique say they have one of their own but he's still in Europe which is why I'm here. What I did was put a majority of your power under lock and key until you can control it better. The 'goop' may wash off but the power in it won't fade for another month or so. I'll have to keep applying it until we're all sure you won't become a living lightning rod the one time you actually want to use your powers. And only when I give my approval will we try to get you back with those gauntlets again, which I _will_ supervise."

Exasperated, like they'd been over the issue several times, Lee glared at his only sibling in annoyance. "We had no idea what would happen! I keep telling you, if we'd known, we'd never had included him on the raid! How many times do I have to say it?"

"Until I believe you... which I still don't." Mariah countered easily, her expression twisting into a look of equal frustration.

"Fine, whatever. Besides, it was Hiro's idea." Lee growled.

This information made the woman frown, as if suddenly suspicious. "Hiro? Captain Granger let you take him to the buy? Why would he do that?"

"I don't know but we can worry about that later. Kai can stick around while I go check in at the precinct, hold up the fiction that Rei here needs a few sick days since he finally came down with a cold after yesterday's rain. Hopefully everybody buys it."

"Do I even have a say in this?" Rei asked, feeling much like a child at this point.

This time Lee frowned, shaking his head at his partner sternly. "Not really. Since you're new and not at your best, you're officially on the sick list. As a fellow thunder/earth type, I can oversee your training while Mariah can handle anything that goes wrong. And if things come to worse, Kai can contain you so that the very worst doesn't happen. Enrique and Oliver are our allies so they'll make sure nobody comes snooping. Jake and Vince here pretty good at making sure all this stays under wraps so you can count on them for just about everything. For now, we need to keep you here in case Ian and Bryan report your existence to their boss."

Daring to glance at Kai for a second, whose face had become shadowed with an emotion he couldn't identify, Rei asked. "Their boss? Who?"

Kai answered, his voice having dropped an octave as he spoke coldly. "My uncle and then above him, my grandfather. Both are cruel and vindictive. Once they find out you exist and where you are, they'll send their best to find you. Ian and Bryan are like us which is why they came alone. I only brought the gang to keep up appearances and to keep them from trying anything. But they got away when you were…sparking up the place so finding them will be second to getting you in pace with us."

"Why would your own grandfather want me?" Rei heard himself asking before he could stop the words from leaving his mouth. It was bad enough Kai looked upset.

The dark look stayed for a moment before lifting into something softer, friendlier but still distant as the Russian got to his feet. Grabbing his jacket and slipping it on, he spoke with a level of authority that few could deny. "It's a long story. Finish eating then get back to bed. I'll go with Lee to be sure he doesn't try to drive my car into a pole."

"Oh c'mon Kai! I wouldn't wreck such a sweet ride! I swear!" Lee protested as his irritation flared up again, this time with a hint of distaste at his friend's lack of faith in him.

Following his fellow detective to the door, Kai only growled. "Nothing you say will get me to believe you." Letting the other man leave first, his angry mutters barely audible past the door, Kai paused long enough to state to the room. "I should be back in an hour. Until Bryan and Ian are found, we should stay on high alert. Got it?"

"None will get past this door but you sir. You can count on it." Jake affirmed, Vince nodding in turn, both of their faces grim.

Returning their nods, Kai seemed honestly satisfied with their answer. "I know I can. See you guys later."

"Bye!" Mariah called out just as the door shut behind the pair, leaving them all to their own affairs. Turning back to the man seated beside her, the pink-haired woman gazed at him with concern in her eyes. "Feeling okay Rei? I know we just tossed a lot your way."

Smiling at her, the expression tired but honest, Rei nodded slowly. "Thanks Mariah but I should be fine. Just need some time to process all this."

"I know the feeling. But we all adjusted, and did our best to stay true to ourselves. We may be different people than who we were ten years ago but not so different that those people are strangers to us. Hopefully, you'll be able to say the same." Enrique stated, voice and face sympathetic for once.

Next to him, Oliver appeared just as empathic to Rei's view. "Ours is a hard path, long and unforgiving. You can count on each of us for support, same as when we only had each other to turn to."

"That does make things more optimistic. It's still a lot to take in though." Rei said, leaning forward again so to make a second attempt at his lunch. He was still pretty tired but it didn't hurt to eat to make up for the loss.

Enrique nodded, appearing thoughtful. "We understand. Take as much time as you need to get your bearings. way, your training should begin within the week, spirits be willing and we already have the necessary facilities in place for it." the Italian grinned almost impishly for a reason Rei immediately found suspect. "Think of it as a gym but for much more…unique people. Can't go to a regular one and start throwin' bolts everywhere ya know."

"You just want a chance to show off don't you?" Oliver deadpanned, though his knowing smirk gave away his humor.

Chuckling, the Italian only grinned a little wider. "You know me so well it's almost scary."

"Boyish fun aside, my patient still needs to get back on track. I'm set on supplies for now but we should still stock for future outbursts. Rei, how well stocked is your fridge?" Mariah asked, appearing to be honestly interested in his answer.

A bit taken aback by the question, Rei answered after a moment. "Pretty good even though I live alone. My parents own a restaurant back home so I know how to eat healthy." As the thought struck him, he smiled at the trio. "Remind me to make you guys a three course dinner once I'm strong enough to stand up on my own."

"I just might hold you to that though anything we come up with might be too common for these two." Mariah said with a laugh, clearly delighted by the prospect of free food.

Oliver surprised them both as he smiled in turn. "Actually that sounds interesting. We were regular people before we came into our money you know. Our menus may be full of things you probably couldn't get elsewhere, much less name but we're not above the average pepperoni pizza now and again."

"I've only known you guys half a day and I already like you. Just don't be surprised when I get hostile over some fancy café's review." Rei warned, finding himself chuckling along with them.

The Frenchman nodded as he chortled likely at some private joke. "We'll keep that in mind. For now, Enrique and I will make sure that this hotel is better secured than Fort Knox. We'll just be in our own rooms so refer to Jake or Vince if you need us. I'm quite certain they haven't eaten yet so letting them go on break shouldn't be too disastrous at this point."

"Our job is your safety and that of the occupants of this suite. We can hardly go on break right now." Jake countered, a frown etched onto his seemingly easy-going face.

Some humor lost, Oliver frowned in obvious disapproval at the man. "Then at the very least eat something proper while you're at it. You've yet to concede to Ms. Mariah's command so I'm backing it up with mine. It's been a long day for all of us. Cool your heels a bit before you get back to it."

"Yes sir. I'll make the call. Perhaps we should get Mr. Kon back to bed since he's clearly finished his meal." Jake noted, pointing out that Rei had indeed finished the remains of his lunch while they bickered.

"Maybe we can make a detour to the bathroom first. Any longer and my bladder might burst at the seams." Rei shifted a little, as if suddenly uncomfortable. "And does anyone have any sleep pants? I'd hate to put anyone out but it feels weird sleeping in my work pants."

Smiling in open sympathy, Enrique stood up as he spoke. "I think we might have an extra pair you can use. Get some rest Rei. Take some time to process everything. We'll try to answer any more of your questions later so not to add to the pile that's already weighing you down. Until then, leave everything to us."

"As much as I hate being in the dark…okay. I may not have much choice in matters but okay. You've yet to lie to me that much I can tell so I'll take your word for it. Besides if Mariah trusts you on this then so will I." Rei admitted. The whole thing had him uneasy but his senses had yet to scream at him that something was amiss. Such a sense was rarely ever wrong.

Getting up in turn, Oliver nodded at his words, accepting them easily. "That's all we ask of you. And you have plenty of choices Rei, they're just not all that ample in number right now. What we do is for your best interest, not just ours. For now, we have work to do. Vince?"

"Yes sir." Said guard stated as he moved forward, gazing down at his charge patiently as he held out an arm. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Rei said, grabbing hold of the proffered limb and with some help from Mariah, was standing up but mostly leaning on the guard as they slowly walked to the spare bedroom.

Vince didn't speak until they were in the door frame, angling so they could both get through without much issue. "The restroom is just to the left. Will you need any help?"

"No, it's standing that's the issue right now. I'll need help back to the bed though. Knock when those pants get here yeah?" Rei asked as they shuffled to their destination.

Pausing long enough to turn the light on, illuminating the confined space with oddly bright lights, Vince held onto him long enough to get him seated on the toilet. "That I will and I'll make sure your clothes get sent to be laundered. I'd hate to see a good suit like this one get ruined because you slept in it."

Looking up at his aid with some humor in his voice, Rei smirked knowingly. "Been there, done that?"

"And back again, couldn't even stop long enough to get the t-shirt. I'll be just outside if you need me." Vince stated casually as he backed out of the room.

"Thanks. I bet you do this often." Rei pointed out, a bit curious on exactly how often.

Vince only shook his head at that, though his smile stayed in place as he gripped the handle loosely. "Not really but me and Jake are used to it. We weren't picked just because we're good with guns."

"I suppose not." Rei muttered with a chuckle as he shut the door behind him. Though parts of him still ached terribly, a number of his muscles protesting to all his excessive movement, getting his pants off proved to be an oddly interesting task. He had to sit down on the toilet first and shimmy them off before doing his business, leaving the piece of attire on the floor when he was done. He instead pulled his boxers back up in their place, taking the time to undo the belt from the loops as he folded them up and placed both items on the counter space. Willing his legs to work, using both the sink and the toilet as leverage, Rei stood up long enough to wash his hands and get some of grime off his face before he had to sit back down again. Less than a minute later Vince knocked on the door, calling through the wooden barrier between them.

"Mr. Kon, we have the pants you asked for. May I come in?" Vince asked, just loud enough for him to hear but low enough so he wasn't shouting. Much to Rei's inner relief, the man didn't sound panicked by his silence.

"It's not locked." He called out, the door swinging open as the guard took up most of the space it left behind.

Glancing to see the black suit pants and belt neatly piled on the counter before turning back to him, Vince remained ever casual. "All done sir?"

"And glad I chose my grey boxers for today otherwise this would be really awkward." Rei joked, earning another smile from the man.

"That it was. We all have the odd pair that most will never see. Let's get you into these first." He said, holding up what looked like cotton pants of a fitting white in his hand.

"Read my mind." The task of getting the pants on took all of two minutes with only half a minute of coordination with shaky execution. Rei had to lean onto the wall as the very effort of standing drained what little energy he had left to spare. Noting his fatigue, Vince didn't speak but instead opted for action instead, taking Rei by the arm and gently guiding him to the bed as if he'd done it dozens of times before. Settling back into the soft sheets and even softer mattress, Rei gave his helper a grateful look even as his eyes threatened to close. "Thanks."

"Rest well sir. I'll see to your clothes and Jake and I should be in the living room should you need us. You don't have to worry about a thing." Vince told him softly so not to rouse him back into wakefulness again.

Rei could only nod weakly in response, his body already working against him to get him to sleep faster. Eyes slipping shut almost on their own, he could hear Vince shuffling about as quietly as he could, the man's footsteps pausing off to his far right as he went to gather Rei's pants and belt as promised. More low shuffling of shoes against carpet and with a soft click, Vince was gone, as was the last bits of control Rei had on the conscious realm. In moments he was fast asleep and adrift in a sea of warmth as he swiftly forgot all they'd told him. He'd worry about such things later.

Ugh. Normally I'd keep going but I think I've stalled enough. Besides I think I wrapped this one up pretty good so I can focus on moving on with the story and my other works. Again thanks for the support guys, it's great to see not everybody's forgotten this fandom. Anyway, here's what's to come:

Next:

Chapter 4: Aftermath

With Rei finally in the fold and recovering from his ordeal, can the rest of the group keep their work and keep him safe from the untold dangers that hide beyond their purview? Or will the forces of ill get much closer than they thought it ever would? See what happens in:

_**Chapter 4: Aftermath!**_


End file.
